The Roman Empire & Pax Romana

Active learning helps students grasp the complexities of the Roman Empire and Pax Romana by moving beyond memorization of dates and names. By analyzing Augustus’ strategies, infrastructure, and political messaging, students see how power and peace functioned in practice rather than in theory.

• 6th Grade
• Ancient Civilizations
• 3 activities
• 25 min–35 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the political and social reforms Augustus implemented to consolidate power and establish the Roman Empire.
2. Evaluate the impact of the Pax Romana on different social classes and regions within the Roman Empire.
3. Explain the engineering and logistical achievements of Roman roads and their role in facilitating trade and communication.
4. Compare the benefits of centralized rule and infrastructure development during the Pax Romana with the potential drawbacks of limited political freedoms.

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Whose Peace Was the Pax Romana?

Students receive brief first-person accounts from four people living under the Pax Romana: a Roman senator, a provincial merchant, a freed person in Rome, and an enslaved laborer. Students write which person they would rather be and why, discuss with a partner whether it is accurate to call this period 'peaceful,' then share with the class.

Prepare & details

Analyze how Augustus transformed Rome from a Republic into an Empire.

Facilitation Tip: For Think-Pair-Share, assign specific roles to pairs to ensure diverse perspectives are represented during the discussion phase.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Stations Rotation

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Collaborative Analysis: Augustus's Image

Small groups analyze two primary source images: the Augustus of Prima Porta statue and a coin with Augustus's image. Students identify what messages each communicates about his authority and how he wanted to be seen. Groups compare their readings and discuss how visual propaganda works to build and legitimize political power.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of living under the Pax Romana.

Facilitation Tip: During Collaborative Analysis, provide students with a graphic organizer to compare Augustus’ public image with his actual policies.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Individual

Gallery Walk: Pax Romana Infrastructure

Post stations for roads, aqueducts, the grain supply system, Roman law, and the army as a policing force. Students write one benefit and one cost of each system for different groups in the empire. Closing discussion asks: what is the difference between stability and justice?

Prepare & details

Explain how the vast network of Roman roads facilitated trade and communication across the empire.

Facilitation Tip: For the Gallery Walk, place a map of the empire’s borders next to each infrastructure image so students can visualize how infrastructure reinforced control.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should emphasize the gap between perception and reality when teaching Augustus and the Pax Romana. Use primary sources like coins, statues, and road maps to show how Augustus crafted his image. Avoid framing the period as uniformly peaceful; instead, highlight regional differences and conflicts. Research shows that students better grasp nuanced topics when they analyze artifacts and conflicting viewpoints rather than lectures.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students recognizing Augustus’ subtle consolidation of power while maintaining Republican forms, understanding that Pax Romana stability varied across the empire, and connecting infrastructure to imperial control. They should also be able to articulate multiple perspectives on what 'peace' meant in this context.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Gallery Walk: Pax Romana Infrastructure, students may assume the empire was uniformly peaceful because of the infrastructure shown.

What to Teach Instead

During the Gallery Walk, ask students to pair each infrastructure image with a region on the border map, noting which areas required military roads and why. This will ground the discussion in the reality of constant frontier warfare.

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Analysis: Augustus's Image, students may think Romans immediately recognized Augustus as an emperor rather than a restorer of the Republic.

What to Teach Instead

During Collaborative Analysis, have students examine Augustus’ titles and imagery on coins or statues, then ask them to explain how these elements would have been interpreted by a Roman farmer versus a senator. This will reveal the subtlety of his power.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After Think-Pair-Share: Whose Peace Was the Pax Romana?, facilitate a class debate using the prompt 'Was the Pax Romana truly a "peace" for everyone living under Roman rule?' Assess students based on their ability to reference specific roles and counterarguments presented during the activity.

Quick Check

During Gallery Walk: Pax Romana Infrastructure, provide students with a map and ask them to identify three cities and draw a connecting road. Assess understanding by collecting their maps and one sentence explaining the road’s importance for trade or military movement.

Exit Ticket

After Collaborative Analysis: Augustus's Image, have students answer on an index card: 1. Name one specific action Augustus took to become emperor. 2. List one benefit and one potential drawback of living during the Pax Romana. Collect and review responses to check for accuracy and depth of understanding.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to research a modern political leader who used similar strategies to Augustus, comparing how power is maintained through institutions and messaging.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems for the Think-Pair-Share discussion, such as 'From the perspective of a ___, Augustus's rule would be seen as...' to guide responses.
• Deeper exploration: Have students examine a primary source, such as Res Gestae Divi Augusti, to identify specific claims Augustus made about his rule and how they align with historical reality.

Key Vocabulary

Principate	The system of government established by Augustus, where he held supreme power while maintaining the outward appearance of the Roman Republic.
Pax Romana	A period of approximately 200 years of relative peace and stability across the Roman Empire, beginning with Augustus's reign.
Imperial Provinces	Territories directly governed by the emperor or his appointed legates, often those with significant military presence.
Roman Roads	An extensive network of paved highways constructed by the Romans, crucial for military movement, trade, and communication throughout the empire.
Aqueduct	Artificial channels constructed to convey water, often over long distances, to supply cities and agricultural areas.