Memoria Press, along with Cheryl and Leigh Lowe, have created a power-packed study on Roman history called Famous Men of Rome.

Rulers such as Julius Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, and Constantine the Great come alive as your family engages in this easy-to-read and thoroughly enjoyable study where mythology and biography beautifully intertwine.

You will begin with the exciting story of Romulus and Remus, two brothers who competitively vied for the founding of Rome. Then work your way from 753 BC to AD 476 (Romulus to the end of the Western Empire). The main textbook comes in paperback version (140 pages) with detailed maps of Ancient Italy and the Roman Empire. The front cover is printed on high-gloss paper with beautiful graphics and artwork throughout the textbook. Accompanying are the teacher and student guides, which are full of great learning tools. You can purchase these separately or with the main book; all are reasonably priced. There are sections that give well-known facts, vocabulary, comprehension questions, tests, hands-on activities, and extra drawing pages. Also included are more maps and a Roman History Timeline.

An interesting bit of information I came across while using Famous Men of Rome is that it goes wonderfully with our United States history study. Rome and America are very similar in their structure of government, and in fact, Cheryl and Leigh Lowe superbly share details about this on page 101 of the guides. They say, "The very structure of our government was consciously modeled after the government of the Roman Republic. In fact, the sense of debt to the Romans for the shaping of our political institutions was so strong among the Founding Fathers that they not only quoted Roman thinkers during the Constitutional debates, but often called each other by Roman names." So feel free to study your US History along with Famous Men of Rome, and watch history come alive in many dimensions.

We are personally enjoying Famous Men of Rome and having fun reading all the stories and incorporating this study into our US History. My daughter is a highly kinesthetic/visual learner, so we made up a Roman notebook where she could add all of the pictures, notes, and extra composition as a visual reminder.

This unit is so versatile that you can add or incorporate what you need to suit your child's learning style, or you can use it just as it is - which is very thorough and complete in itself.

I highly recommend Famous Men of Rome to all families, as it will add a rich texture of dimension into your studies and make learning about Rome a delightful time for all.

-- Product review by Kelly Miller, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2006