The Listening Grove · Fifty Famous Stories Retold
Chapter 29: Julius Caesar
A Charlotte Mason read-aloud lesson. Press play, with the lesson.
What is Fifty Famous Stories Retold Chapter 29, Julius Caesar, about?Parent review
Fifty Famous Stories Retold Chapter 29, Julius Caesar, is a short portrait of one of the greatest of the Romans. Caesar lived nearly two thousand years ago and was a brave soldier and a conqueror who made himself master of Rome. The chapter shares two well-known sayings about him. Passing through a poor little village, he remarked that he would rather be the first man there than the second man in Rome. Crossing a narrow sea in a fierce storm, he told the frightened captain there was nothing to fear, for he carried Caesar in his boat. Together the two sayings paint a picture of his ambition and his steady courage.
Say what you remember!
Tell what you remember from the last chapter.
What happened in Fifty Famous Stories Retold Chapter 28, Horatius at the Bridge?Have a look
In the last chapter, Horatius at the Bridge, Porsena, king of the Etruscans, marched a great army on Rome, with only a wooden bridge over the River Tiber standing in the way. The brave Horatius and two companions held the far end of the bridge while the Romans cut it down behind them. As the bridge fell, Horatius, wounded in the eye, threw his spear, leaped into the river in his heavy armor, and swam safely across to his own people. Rome honored him with a statue and a gift of land. It was a famous example of courage and self-sacrifice for the good of all.
Read the previous lesson: Horatius at the Bridge →Show what you know!
Use your printable Lesson Guide. Fill in the vocabulary you know, then click to check your work and learn some new words today.
What are the difficult or advanced vocabulary words in Fifty Famous Stories Retold Chapter 29, Julius Caesar?conquer, warrior, strut, oarHave a look
- conquer: to win and take over by force
- warrior: a person skilled and tested in war
- strut: to walk with a proud, showy step
- oar: a long pole with a flat blade for rowing
Locate it on the map!
Use your printable Lesson Guide. Use an atlas and fill in the blank map if you can find the geographic location, then click to check your work.
What important geographic location connects with Fifty Famous Stories Retold Chapter 29, Julius Caesar?
- Find The Adriatic Sea: the narrow sea Caesar crossed in the storm
See it on the mapHave a look
This matches the map in your Lesson Guide.
The Books come Alive!
Read or listen to Chapter 29 of Fifty Famous Stories Retold, the Kindred Thicket Enhanced Edition, read by Laura Caldwell.
Read by Laura Caldwell for LibriVox (public domain), professionally adjusted and trimmed by Kindred Thicket.
What do the Teacher’s Notes tell us about Chapter 29 of Fifty Famous Stories Retold?Parent review
This is a Kindred Thicket Enhanced Edition. Baldwin’s 1896 words are read exactly as he wrote them, and we add Teacher’s Notes with historical and literary context.
- About the whole bookFifty Famous Stories Retold gathers real history together with well-loved legends and traditions. These notes tell you, story by story, which is which.
Memory becomes Action!
Use the Response Resource* to remember and spell tricky names. Choose one way to narrate.
*Materials in the Lesson Guide.
What is the list of names, people, characters, and places that are important in Chapter 29 of Fifty Famous Stories Retold?Julius Caesar, Rome, The mayor, The captainHave a look
- Julius Caesar: A real Roman general and ruler (100 to 44 BC) who conquered many countries and made himself master of Rome.
- Rome: The city Caesar rules, whose people at that time did not believe in kings.
- The mayor: The proud head man of the little village Caesar passes through.
- The captain: The boatman who has crossed the narrow sea many times, but never in such a storm.
Chapter 29 Q & A
This is a Kindred Thicket Enhanced Edition. Baldwin’s stories mingle real history with beloved legend, and here is what to know about this one.
Is the chapter about Julius Caesar true history or a legend?
Julius Caesar was a real Roman general and ruler who lived from 100 to 44 BC and made himself master of Rome. So the man is firmly history. The two sayings shared here, however, are traditional anecdotes passed down about him. They fit his character well but are best enjoyed as well-known stories rather than exact quotations.
Did Caesar really say he would rather be first in a village?
The saying that he would rather be the first man in a poor village than the second man in Rome is a famous old anecdote about Caesar's ambition. It has been retold for centuries because it captures his character. Like many such sayings, it is a tradition rather than a word-for-word record of what he actually said.
What does 'you have Caesar on board' mean?
In another well-known anecdote, Caesar crossed a narrow sea in a fierce storm and told the frightened boatman there was nothing to fear, for he carried Caesar in his boat. The saying shows his steady, self-confident courage. It too is a traditional story rather than proven history, but it has long been used to picture his fearless spirit.
Why is Caesar called one of the greatest Romans?
Baldwin calls him the greatest of the Romans because he was a brave soldier, a famous conqueror, and finally the ruler of Rome. In his day the Romans did not believe in kings, yet some thought Caesar wished to be one. The chapter offers a short portrait of his greatness through two memorable sayings about his ambition and courage.