THE ROMAN ACHIEVMENT 

INSTRUCTIONS:
Life Expectancy Assignment

Question 1 (5 point)
Your character name:

• Aulus Carminius Traianus;
• age at death: 69;
• marriages: 1;
• children: 7;
• grandchildren: 9;
• number of people who survive you: 8

Family History Year 1:

• Birth of Aulus Carminius Traianus (You) Year 22:
• Marriage of Aulus Carminius Traianus (You) and Caecilia Scriboniana (14 years old) Year 27:
• Birth of Carminia Claudiana (Daughter) Year 28:
• Birth of Aulus Carminius Bibulus (Son) Year 30:
• Death of Cartilia Charite at the age of 46 (Mother) Year 30:
• Death of Aulus Carminius Bibulus at the age of 2 (Son) Year 33:
• Birth of Carminia Veneria (Daughter) Year 36:
• Death of Marcus Carminius Columella at the age of 62 (Father) Year 37:
• Birth of Aulus Carminius Arrianus (Son) Year 42:
• Death of Aulus Carminius Arrianus at the age of 5 (Son) Year 42:
• Birth of Quintus Carminius Firmus (Son) Year 43:
• Marriage of Carminia Claudiana (Daughter) at the age of 16 Year 45:
• Birth of Grandson by Carminia Claudiana (Grandson) Year 47:
• Marriage of Carminia Veneria (Daughter) at the age of 14 Year 49:
• Birth of Granddaughter by Carminia Claudiana (Grandchild) Year 51:
• Birth of Decimus Carminius Dexippus (Son) Year 52:
• Birth of Granddaughter by Carminia Veneria (Grandchild) Year 54:
• Birth of Carminia Charite (Daughter) Year 54:
• Birth of Grandson by Carminia Claudiana (Grandson) Year 55:
• Death of Caecilia Scriboniana at the age of 47 (Wife) Year 57:
• Death of Carminia Charite at the age of 3 (Daughter) Year 57:
• Birth of Grandson by Carminia Veneria (Grandson) Year 58:
• Death of Grandson by Carminia Veneria at the age of 1 (Grandson) Year 58:
• Birth of Grandson by Carminia Claudiana (Grandson) Year 60:
• Birth of Grandson by Carminia Veneria (Grandson) Year 61:
• Death of Grandson by Carminia Veneria at the age of 1 (Grandson) Year 64:
• Birth of Granddaughter by Carminia Claudiana (Grandchild) Year 64:
• Birth of Granddaughter by Carminia Veneria (Grandchild) Year 65:
• Marriage of Quintus Carminius Firmus (Son) at the age of 23 Year 65:
• Death of Granddaughter by Carminia Claudiana at the age of 1 (Grandchild) Year 65:
• Death of Granddaughter by Carminia Veneria at the age of 1 (Grandchild) Year 66:
• Death of Carminia Claudiana at the age of 39 (Daughter) Year 69:
• Death of Aulus Carminius Traianus at the age of 69 (You)

Family members

• You: Aulus Carminius Traianus; lived 69 years
• Father: Marcus Carminius Columella; lived 62 years; died when you were 36 years old
• Mother: Cartilia Charite; lived 46 years; died when you were 30 years old

Marriages:

• Caecilia Scriboniana married at 14 years old; produced 7 children; died at 47 Children:
• Daughter: Carminia Claudiana; married at 16; died at the age of 39
• Son: Aulus Carminius Bibulus; died at the age of 2
• Daughter: Carminia Veneria; married at 14; 36 years old at the time of your death
• Son: Aulus Carminius Arrianus; died at the age of 5
• Son: Quintus Carminius Firmus; married at 23; 27 years old at the time of your death
• Son: Decimus Carminius Dexippus; 18 years old at the time of your death
• Daughter: Carminia Charite; died at the age of 3 Grandchildren:
• Grandson by Carminia Claudiana; 24 years old at the time of your death
• Granddaughter by Carminia Claudiana; 20 years old at the time of your death
• Granddaughter by Carminia Veneria; 17 years old at the time of your death
• Grandson by Carminia Claudiana; 15 years old at the time of your death
• Grandson by Carminia Veneria; died at the age of 1
• Grandson by Carminia Claudiana; 11 years old at the time of your death
• Grandson by Carminia Veneria; died at the age of 1
• Granddaughter by Carminia Claudiana; died at the age of 1
• Granddaughter by Carminia Veneria; died at the age of 1 Survived By:
• Carminia Veneria (Daughter); 36 years old
• Quintus Carminius Firmus (Son); 27 years old
• Grandson by Carminia Claudiana; 24 years old
• Granddaughter by Carminia Claudiana; 20 years old
• Decimus Carminius Dexippus (Son); 18 years old
• Granddaughter by Carminia Veneria; 17 years old
• Grandson by Carminia Claudiana; 15 years old
• Grandson by Carminia Claudiana; 11 years old

Question 1: What is the nomen of your character?
Question 2 (15 points / grading rubric details: Information matches that given in the detailed family history. Should show how the main character and parents` lives match; Demonstrates how the presence and absence of parents had an effect on the life of the main character.)
Questions about Your Character`s Parents. You only need to write a couple of sentences. Write your answer from the perspective of your Roman character. See the associated rubric for additional details on the grading.

1. How long did your parents live during your life? Give the specific years of your life in which they died (i.e. how old you were when they died) as well as their ages at the time of their deaths.
2. Did the lifespan of your parents have any significant impact on your life? This is a role-playing question. Consider how long your parents were alive and invent a part of your character`s back story to take into consideration the presence (or lack thereof) of your parents. Answer here:

Question 3 (15 points / grading rubric details: Accurate summary of the main character`s marriages and includes reference to all marriages; Good discussion of Roman marriage practices and how they reflect Roman society`s emphasis on increasing the population.)
These questions are about your marriage history. Note especially if your character was married multiple times.

1. Describe your marriage history. This should be a text description of the data in the detailed family history.
2. To what extent does your marriage history reflect the Roman need to procreate? This is a question in which you should apply what you have learned about life expectancy, age at time of marriage, and infant mortality rates to your Roman character`s family history. Answer here:

Question 4 (20 points / grading rubric details: Accurate summary of the main character`s children (if any) and includes reference to all children; Accurate summary of the marriages of the children and refers to all grandchildren born from those marriages; Good discussion of how the main character`s family exemplifies the issues of infant mortality)
The following questions address your character`s children and grandchildren. You should answer these questions from the perspective of your Roman character.

1. Briefly describe the history of your children. Convert the data in the family history to a short description. Only a few sentences are needed.
2. Did you live long enough to see any of your children get married and have their own children? Discuss whether your children started their own families. Apply some of the realities of Roman marriage practices to your discussion.
3. How does the list of your children and grandchildren reflect the realities of infant mortality? Look at the ages of your children and grandchildren at the time of their deaths (if they died during your lifetime) and discuss how your family reflects the infant mortality numbers discussed in the presentation. Answer here:

Question 5 (10 points / grading rubric details: Good discussion from the Roman view point of how a person gauges their life as productive or not) Do you feel like you lived a productive life by Roman standards? In what way?

1. This is a role-playing question in which you should think about what would make a Roman life meaningful based on what you have learned in the class so far.
2. One important aspect to include is your age at the time of your death and the number of children and grandchildren that you had that survived you. Answer here:

Question 6 (15 points / grading rubric details: Full list of all family members who were alive at the time of the main character`s death. Should also include any and all recently-born infants; Names a person from the family to write the tombstone and gives an explanation of why that person was chosen. If no one survived the main character, this is mentioned with a short discussion of the significance of that fact.)
These questions focus on your character`s survival after his death.

1. Who of your family survived you? This can be a sentence outlining who is still alive at the time of your death. While doing this, think about how many people in your family have died before you.
2. Which of these people do you think would be the best choice to write the epitaph on your tombstone and why? If no one survived you then discuss the importance of that. Now that you know who survived you, think about which one of them would be the best choice to write your tombstone. You will need to give reasons for choosing that person. It is possible that none of your family survived you. If not, then discuss the importance and effect of that fact. Answer here:

Question 7 (15 points / grading rubric details: Inscription written as a tomb epitaph following Roman conventions.) Finally, write the text of your tomb inscription. See the Roman Lives reading for examples and formulas frequently seen on Roman tombstones.

1. This must be written from the ancient Roman perspective and reflect ancient rather than modern practices.
2. You are also limited in this exercise to between 200 and 400 characters (not including spaces).
3. Do not include any miscellaneous explanation of your text. The inscription must be clear without explanation. The inscription should be written in English. Answer here: