Famous Men of Rome · Ch. VIII · Unit 2: The early Republic
10. Coriolanus
Goal: Your child can tell how Coriolanus got his name, why he left Rome, and how his mother saved the city.
You'll need
- The book, open to this chapter
- A map of Italy and the Mediterranean (a free online map or a globe)
- Paper and colored pencils
What's in the book
Chapter VIII: Caius Marcius wins the Volscian city of Corioli and is called Coriolanus. The plebeians, crushed by debt, win the right to elect tribunes with the power of veto. Coriolanus, who scorns the common people, is put on trial and flees to the Volscians, then leads their army against Rome. His mother Veturia and the Roman women turn him back.
The lesson, step by step
Set the scene
SayRome has no king now, but rich and poor do not get along. The patricians, or nobles, have the power, and the plebeians, or common people, are often in debt.
Read the chapter
Read Chapter VIII aloud. It begins:
One of the great men of Rome not long after the banishment of the Tarquins was Caius Marcius.
Tell it back
Prompts:
- How did Caius Marcius get the name Coriolanus?
- Why did the plebeians almost leave Rome?
- What did Coriolanus say about the corn from Sicily?
- Who finally turned him back from Rome?
Words from Rome
The book explains that tribunes could veto laws.
SayVeto is Latin for "I forbid." Our President can veto a law too.
Talk it over
Read what Coriolanus said to his mother:
Oh, mother, what have you done to me? You have saved Rome, but you have ruined your son.
Ask:
- Why did his mother's words work when the nobles' did not?
- Coriolanus was very brave. What was his weakness?
Extra (optional)
Draw the long line of Roman ladies in mourning walking to the Volscian camp.
Answers to the book's problems
He loved his mother deeply; the book says Valeria remembered that and hoped he would listen to her. His weakness was pride and scorn for the common people.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.