Are primary sources only written documents?
Normally, when teachers and students discuss primary sources, students think of written records.Where else can we find a records of the past? Really any object or artifacts from the past can be a primary source. However, artifacts require more intrepretation.
I've been to Italy several times because I'm into Roman history. When I was in the eighth grade, my mother made me watch I, Claudius. After that I was hooked. I took two undergraduate courses in Roman history and loved it. However, I never took Latin or Greek. Looking back, I should have to enrich my studies, but hindsight is twenty-twenty. So I'm posting some of my pictures from Rome, so that if you are studying Latin you can practice being an historian and translate an artifact. See if you enjoy it. Also you're helping me out, so far I'm clueless what is written. I encourage you to post your translations so that I know more about my pictures.
This first one is a no brainer (kinda had to post this one):
This one I took at Pompeii on the threshold of a house. If I had to guess it's something like a welcome mat. The bright sunlight would have washed out the white lettering, so I asked my husband to cast a shadow over it. I know all sorts of tricks...
This one was mounted on a wall at Herculaneum. My guess it's about Augustus?
This one is from the forum. The columns are the ruins of the temple of Saturn. If you look closely there's an enscription near the top. The stones in the foreground have fallen from another building.
This was a fountian that I saw as we were leaving town. What
does it say above the arches?
This is the Pantheon in the center of Rome there is a dedication to Agrippa at the top, I think. The orginial building burned down and a later emperor, Hadrian (?) rebuilt it.
Thank You!!! Please leave me comments to help me improve the site!
Amy