Ancient Rome Historical Figure Cards

I really thought Ancient Greece with all its culture and refinement was going to be my favorite part of Ancient History, but there’s something compelling about these Romans. I went through a telenovela phase in grad school. (Don’t ask.) The lives of these historical figures of Ancient Rome are even more fantastic and unbelievable.

As I read their stories, I keep thinking I should make some popcorn. The beautiful, ruthless Agrippina, sister of the insane tyrant, Caligula, possibly murders her husband and is then murdered by her son, Nero?! Tiberius is the stepson, adopted son, AND son-in-law of Augustus? (Wrap your head around that one.) It’s hard to believe that these people actually lived at all, not to mention a couple thousand years ago.

This free, printable, Montessori-inspired set of cards features 28 of the most famous Ancient Romans. Included in this set are:

• Tarquin the Proud
• Cincinnatus
• Scipio
• Gaius Marius
• Crassus
• Pompey the Great
• Cicero
• Julius Caesar
• Brutus
• Mark Antony
• Virgil
• Horace
• Augustus
• Tiberius
• Caligula
• Agrippina the Younger
• Nero
• Trajan
• Hadrian
• Marcus Aurelius
• Commodus
• Maximian
• Constantine the Great
• Diocletian
• Theodosius I
• Stilicho
• Odoacer
• Justinian I

Because I love the idea of Montessori-style split cards, there are 2 sets of matching cards for each figure, plus a complete set of control cards. The control cards contain all the information related to the figure (picture + name + biographical info). The split cards allow kids to practice remembering the information by giving them the option of matching the picture to the name to the biographical info. They can be used for independent study or to play a memory-style matching game.

To study these Ancient Romans, I recommend using any of a number of different resources. (You definitely don’t need them all!) With my first grader, I like to use Story of the World: Ancient Times. However, we also own The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History and the The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia. I like to look through these as well when I make the cards to make sure I’m not missing anyone really important.

Also, if you are using my free, printable blank world history timeline, I made some Ancient Roman labels that you can add to your timeline. (You are of course welcome to use them on any timeline…it doesn’t have to be the one I made!)

See my Ancient History page for a list of posts on other cultures such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece. Sign up for my newsletter to stay up-to-date as this list of free resources grows.

Recommended Age Range: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Time Required: ~30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Free printable, less than $3 to laminate

Materials:

• Paper for printing Ancient Rome Historical Figure cards and corresponding control cards. (Note that the last 2 pages of each document do not need to be printed as they just contain legal information regarding sharing and image sources.)
• 15 thermal laminating pouches
• Optional: paper for printing Ancient Romans for History Timeline (only first page needs to be printed)

Supplies & Tools:

• Laminator
• Paper trimmer or scissors

Instructions:

1. Print the Ancient Rome Historical Figure cards and corresponding control cards.
2. Laminate them using thermal laminating pouches (optional, could also use contact paper or not laminate them at all).
3. Cut them out.
4. Print Ancient Romans for History Timeline if using.
5. Cut out the labels and glue them into a world history timeline.

Click here for more Ancient History activities and printables for kids.

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