Skills

Quick review of Day 1. Answer without looking: Why is the Resurrection central to the faith? (Because if Christ is not risen, our faith is in vain; because he is risen, death is conquered.) What happened at the Ascension? (Christ was taken up into heaven, bringing our human nature into God's glory.) Then pray together the part of the Creed that names these mysteries: 'On the third day he rose again... he ascended into heaven... and his kingdom will have no end.'

Sentences do different jobs, and each has its own end punctuation. There are four kinds by purpose: 1. DECLARATIVE: makes a statement. Ends with a period. 'Augustus ruled the Roman Empire.' 2. INTERROGATIVE: asks a question. Ends with a question mark. 'Who became the first emperor?' 3. IMPERATIVE: gives a command or request. Ends with a period (or, if forceful, an exclamation point). The subject 'you' is usually understood. 'Read the chapter on Rome.' 'Stop!' 4. EXCLAMATORY: expresses strong feeling. Ends with an exclamation point. 'What a magnificent dome the Pantheon has!'

Good writers vary their sentence purposes to keep prose lively, but use exclamation points sparingly; overusing them weakens their effect.

Worked example: 'The Pax Romana brought peace.' (declarative) 'How did it help the Gospel spread?' (interrogative) 'Trace the roads on your map.' (imperative) 'What an empire it was!' (exclamatory)

Practice (name the type and add the correct end punctuation): 1. The Gospel spread along Roman roads ____ 2. Did Christ live during the reign of Augustus ____ 3. Look at the Augustus of Prima Porta ____ 4. What a peace the angels announced ____ 5. Write one sentence of each of the four types about Rome.

At its greatest extent (around AD 117, under the emperor Trajan), the Roman Empire encircled the entire Mediterranean Sea, so completely that Romans called it mare nostrum, 'our sea.' Today you will map this vast realm. The empire wrapped around the Mediterranean on all sides: in Europe it ran from Britannia (Britain) and Gaul (France) through Hispania (Spain), Italia (Italy), and Greece, down to the Danube; in the East it held Asia Minor, Syria, and the province of Judaea (where Christ was born); and across North Africa it stretched from Egypt along the coast to the lands once ruled by Carthage. Drawing task: sketch the lands around the Mediterranean Sea, then shade the extent of the Empire as described, all the coasts of the Mediterranean. Label the Mediterranean Sea as 'Mare Nostrum.' Mark and label these places: Rome (Italy), Britannia, Hispania, Gaul, Greece, Egypt (with Alexandria), and Judaea (with Jerusalem). Draw one or two long lines representing the great Roman roads radiating from Rome (remember, 'all roads lead to Rome'). Add a compass rose. As you label Judaea, pause: this small eastern province is where the most important event in history took place, inside the largest empire of the age.

Add 'mare nostrum' and the four sentence types to your glossary. Write two sentences about the Roman Empire, one declarative and one interrogative, each correctly punctuated.