The Teacher in Ancient Rome : The Magister and His World

Although a number of general books about ancient education have been published over the last few decades, none of these books emphasize the teacher. The Teacher in Ancient Rome: The Magister and His World, by Lisa Maurice, aims to correct this and provides a wide-ranging survey of the personal and professional life of the schoolteacher in ancient Rome. This in-depth study fills a significant gap in the literature of Roman history and ancient education. The Teacher in Ancient Rome: The Magister and His World by Lisa Maurice investigates a particular aspect of education in ancient Rome, namely the figure of the teacher. After identifying and defining the different kinds of teachers in the Roman education systems, Maurice illuminates their ways of life both as both professionals and members of society. This text surveys the physical environment in which teachers worked, as well as the methods, equipment, and techniques used in the classroom. Slavery, patronage, and the social and financial status of the various types of teachers are considered in depth. Maurice examines ideological issues surrounding teachers, discussing the idealized figure of the teacher and the frequent differences between this ideal and actual educators. Also explored are the challenges posed by the interaction of Greek and Roman culture—and later between paganism and Christianity—and how these social clashes affected those responsible for educating the youth of society. The Teacher in Ancient Rome is a comprehensive treatment of a figure instantly recognizable yet strikingly different from that of the modern teacher. The Teacher in Ancient Rome 1 Contents 8 List of Abbreviations 10 Preface 12 Introduction 14 1. The Terminology of Education: magistri, grammatici, litteratores and more. . . 17 2. The Teacher and His School: The Professional in His Work Environment 39 3. Pedagogical Methods 67 4. Teaching of Slaves and Slave-Teachers: Slavery in Education 127 5. The Social Status of the Teacher 159 6. Education and Ideology 195 7. Afterword: Teachers Ancient and Modern: Some Brief Conclusions and Comparisons 227 Bibliography 235 Index 261 About the Author 267