Roman Empire · 117 AD

Rome at its height

Under emperor Trajan the empire reaches its greatest size. Students explore how far Rome really stretched, and what held such a giant together.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
50 minutes
Ages
11–14
On the map
3 steps, AD 117
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, included
You need
A projector; phones for live
The ChronoAtlas map in AD 117, with the places this lesson visits a The empire at its peakAD 117 b The edge of empireAD 117 c Trade routesAD 117
Plate 133Roman Empire, AD 117. The letters mark the three map steps of this lesson.

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

Sign in to teach it live

Free on this lesson. Your students never need an account.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

Under emperor Trajan the empire reaches its greatest size. Students explore how far Rome really stretched, and what held such a giant together.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Describe the extent of the Roman Empire in 117 AD in their own words.
  • Name three regions under Roman rule outside Italy.
  • Explain one way Rome kept a huge empire connected (roads, army, trade).
2

Explore the map

15 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

The map in AD 117 a

AD 117

The empire at its peak

Open the map in 117 AD. Zoom out until you see the whole empire. Which three continents does it touch?

Open this view on the map
The map in AD 117 c

AD 117

Trade routes

Turn on the trade routes layer. Follow a route from Rome to Egypt. What was worth shipping that far?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

15 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Why was the Mediterranean Sea called "Mare Nostrum" (our sea) by the Romans?
  2. The empire had about 80,000 km of roads. What were they for, besides trade?
  3. Rome ruled people with many languages and religions. How would you keep them all loyal?
  4. Look at the borders: rivers, deserts, seas. Why do empires often stop at natural barriers?
  5. What do you think was the biggest risk of an empire this size?
4

Game round

10 min

Play one round of Rule History together on the classroom screen. Set the map to the Roman era and let students take turns making a ruling. Discuss: was your choice realistic for a Roman emperor?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

Ready for the copier

Two A4 pages, black on white: the 5 assignments with writing lines, and a map page with a reference map and a large sketch area. Hand it out or set it as homework.

ChronoAtlas Classroom · Lesson 133: Roman Empire, 117 AD

Rome at its height

NameClassDate
  1. Draw the outline of the Roman Empire in 117 AD on the blank map below (use the ChronoAtlas map as your source).
  2. Mark and name: Rome, Alexandria, Londinium (London) and the Rhine border.
  3. Name three provinces outside Italy and one product each was known for.
  4. In two sentences: why did the empire stop expanding after Trajan?
  5. Bonus: find on the map one city that still exists today under a different name.
ChronoAtlas Classroom · Rome at its height · Map page

Reference map: AD 117

Your map

Sketch here - use the reference map above and chronoatlas.nl