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USU history students lead assault on Rome? By
Will Bettmann
As another semester winds down, and the frantic, arhythmic tap-tap-tap of computer keys echoes far into the night, what nightmare could be more horrifying for students than one in which professors are gods and godesses who arbitrarily decide their fate. Yet, students in the classics program, which is offered through the history department at USU, willingly, no, enthusiastically chose to take part in just such a scenario Wednesday night at the "Ludi Romani," which means Roman Games in Latin. The games have been played annually for about the last ten years, said Frances Titchener, a professor in the history department who learned of the idea from one of her students and brought it to USU. The Roman Games, which were held in the Walnut Room of the Taggert Student Center Wednesday, are one part ancient history lesson, one part risk, one part costume ball, and one part pandemonium. Titchener said the version currently being played has evolved every year, and, in fact, is so far from other versions that the department is considering copyrighting the game. Classics students are assigned an historical character, such as Cleopatra or Marcus Brutus, and then vie with each other for money, armies and votes in the Roman senate. Professors preside - as gods and goddesses - over tables, which each represent a certain geographical area, such as Sicily, Gaul or Egypt. Battles are fought by means of rolled dice, and the rules of the game are complex enough that there is a multi-page rulebook, and the gods are often called upon to arbitrate conflicts. Needless to say, there is as much scheming involved in these games as in the Roman Senate. After a couple of hours of play on Wednesday, a strange alliance formed amoung Marcus Brutus, Cleopatra, and a couple of barbarian kings, including Pacorus, king of the Parthians. Pacorus, also known as history student Gerrit Dirkmaatt, was dressed in a wig, and hollering insults at his opponents that could have hurt a gladiator's feelings. He helped lead an assault on Rome that eventually led him and his allies to conquer and split among themselves all the Roman territories. "That's the problem with barbarians in the real world," said Dirkmaat. "They never cooperate and attack in a unified way." When asked about the reasons for the success of his conquest, Dirkmaat simply stated, "We're better than they are." One of Dirkmaat's allies, Kendell Eliason (Cleopatra), also a history major, said he rated his Roman History class as the best he's taken at USU. He said professor Titchener's energy and ability to bring ancient history to life are what made the class unique. Other toga-clad students nearby agreed that Titchener, and her husband and fellow professor, Mark Damen, were amoung the best teachers they'd ever had. Titchener said she tries to draw parallels in her classes between ancient history and current events. "One of the things I think about all the time is why anybody should bother to learn this stuff, why it matters," Titchener said. "Right now, in the world, I think you can see what happens when people live out their feuds. I pester students quite a bit to make connections between now and then." The study of classics is defined on the history department's website as "the study of the ancient world, encompassing Greek and Roman history, art, literature, philosophy, and many other areas as well as the ancient languages." Classics is offered as a minor at USU with an emphasis on civilization, Latin language, or Greek language. Titchener said the written, verbal and research skills which students develop in the study of classics are valuable, and useful in any number of professions She said former USU classics students were currently studying medicine, law, divinity and business, among other things.
The goddess Flora, a.k.a. classics student Ronna Jensen, cavorts with Jupiter. / Photo courtesy of Fran Titchener
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