A free social sciences worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.
Read the short source, then investigate how Roman values could guide people’s choices. Roman society was diverse: expectations differed by status, gender, citizenship and period. Use evidence from the source and explain your reasoning.
In ancient Rome, values were ideals people praised, though not everyone followed them equally. Pietas meant duty and respect towards family, gods and community. Virtus could mean courage, excellence and public service. Gravitas described seriousness and self-control; dignitas was the respect or standing a person earned. Roman writers often celebrated these ideals, especially in male citizens involved in public life. Women, enslaved people and people without citizenship had different rights and expectations. Rome’s values could encourage service and loyalty, but could also support strict hierarchies.
Decode the values
Use the source above to answer Questions 1–4.
1.Which value most directly describes duty towards family, gods and community?
Pietas
Gravitas
Dignitas
Wealth
2.Match each Roman value to the closest meaning.
Virtus
Gravitas
Dignitas
Seriousness and self-control
Respect or standing a person earns
Courage, excellence and public service
3.True or false? The source says that every person in Rome had the same rights and expectations.
TrueFalse
4.Complete the sentence using the source: Roman writers often praised these values as , even though people did not always follow them equally.
Values in action
Imagine a Roman neighbourhood organising repairs to a damaged public water channel. Consider the values, but remember that people’s opportunities to take part were unequal.
5.Lachlan is preparing to speak at a public meeting. Which value best fits speaking seriously and with self-control?
6.Oliver volunteers to help repair the channel because he believes serving the community matters more than personal praise. Name one Roman value that could support his choice and explain why.
7.Bodhi wants public recognition for helping, while another neighbour thinks the repair should be done without seeking praise. Explain how dignitas might be relevant to this disagreement.
8.The source says Roman values could encourage service and loyalty, but could also support strict hierarchies. Give one example of each effect, using evidence from the source.
9.Choose one Roman value from the source. Describe one way it could be useful in Australia today and one way it could become harmful if taken too far. Support both points with an example.
