Ancient Rome’s Veterans with Disabilities: Roman Accounts and U.S. Veteran Comparisons

This lesson features both ancient texts referring to the lives of Roman soldiers after they were wounded in battle and images and recordings of American veterans. Students will compare how two societies separated by centuries think about and act toward veterans who live with a disability. The lesson includes activities that offer opportunities to move in the classroom, write, draw, collaborate, and learn from varied primary sources in written, visual, and audio media. The comparison to contemporary experiences of wounded American soldiers invites students of ancient Rome to more vividly imagine the needs and lives of soldiers centuries ago, prompting reflection and inquiry.