Young Caesar's Colosseum Selfie
The Selfie Through Time
The year is 85 B.C., and young Julius Caesar, only fifteen years old, found himself being dragged through the bustling streets of Rome by his exasperated tutor, Marcus. Today’s lesson? A visit to the Colosseum, the grand amphitheater where gladiators battled and wild animals roamed.
"Pay attention, Julius!" Marcus scolded, his voice barely audible above the clamor of the city. "This place is a testament to Roman engineering and power!"
Julius, however, found himself considerably less interested in the history of the Colosseum and considerably more interested in, well, anything else. The sun was hot, Marcus's droning voice was like a lullaby, and the only thing keeping him awake was the sheer size of the building. It was huge!
A Sneaky Escape
As Marcus launched into a detailed explanation of the different types of gladiators, Julius saw his chance. With a practiced maneuver, he slipped away from his tutor's side, melting into the crowd. He made his way to an area overlooking the arena floor. An idea sparked in his mischievous young mind.
- Colosseum:
- A large amphitheater in ancient Rome where gladiators fought.
- Tutor:
- A private teacher.
- Amphitheater:
- A large open-air venue with tiered seating.
- exasperated:
- Extremely annoyed, frustrated, or irritated.
- clamor:
- A loud, continuous, and confused noise or shouting from a crowd.
- testament:
- Clear evidence or proof that something exists, is true, or is of high quality.
- maneuver:
- A skilled, clever, or carefully planned movement or action.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What does Julius pull out of his pocket?
- 2How old is Julius Caesar in the story?
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About this fiction passage for Middle School
“Young Caesar's Colosseum Selfie” is a fiction reading passage about Ancient Rome, written for Middle School. It takes about 2 minutes to read (287 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.