Education of the Romans could be reduced to three simple aspects: grammar, rhetoric, and vocations. Grammar or "grammatica" in Latin was taught to sons of craftsmen and merchants so that they may have correct sentence structure and speaking form.
Early Grammaticus:
Early in Roman history, Grammaticus were not respected in society. During the Republic, the Senate went so far as to ban all philosophers and grammaticii from Rome because they claimed that these teachers were corrupting the minds of the youth by teaching them to be "overly clever."
For those who could afford it, boys between the ages of nine and twelve would be sent to Grammaticus. Girls would not have a need for a formal education because they were usually married and therefore rarely attended these institutions. Daily activities included lectures, reading of poetry, and the analysis of poetry. The children continued their studies until they were about fourteen or fifteen at which point the top of the class, and the wealthiest among them, were able to move on to the final stage of Roman Education: Rhetor.
Famous Grammaticus:
Lucius Orbilius Pupillus and Marcus Verrius Flaccus were two major teachers of grammatica in their time. However, many of these teachers did not have their own classroom. Flaccus, hired by the great Augustus to teach his grandsons, used public spaces as a place to teach although multiple problems could occur such as weather or noise control.
Early Grammaticus:
Early in Roman history, Grammaticus were not respected in society. During the Republic, the Senate went so far as to ban all philosophers and grammaticii from Rome because they claimed that these teachers were corrupting the minds of the youth by teaching them to be "overly clever."
For those who could afford it, boys between the ages of nine and twelve would be sent to Grammaticus. Girls would not have a need for a formal education because they were usually married and therefore rarely attended these institutions. Daily activities included lectures, reading of poetry, and the analysis of poetry. The children continued their studies until they were about fourteen or fifteen at which point the top of the class, and the wealthiest among them, were able to move on to the final stage of Roman Education: Rhetor.
Famous Grammaticus:
Lucius Orbilius Pupillus and Marcus Verrius Flaccus were two major teachers of grammatica in their time. However, many of these teachers did not have their own classroom. Flaccus, hired by the great Augustus to teach his grandsons, used public spaces as a place to teach although multiple problems could occur such as weather or noise control.