How to learn about the past? Some remarks on teaching history and law of ancient Rome

Abstract

Every generation carries on its lips the Latin paremma historia magistra vitae est. This is also our wish – that history teaches us and protects us from mistakes. However, in order for this to be possible, it should be eagerly studied, relying on the best materials. The article was devoted to a fragment of world history, that is, the Roman republic, and how problematics was presented to high school students in a handbook placed in their hands written by Marcin Pawlak and Adam Szweda, Poznać przeszłość 1. Although, in general, the material on ancient Rome covers politics and public law, there is also a bit of news on private law. Unfortunately, regardless of the subject matter discussed, the authors have not managed to avoid errors. The aim of the following discussion was to point them out and to clarify how particular issues were actually regulated by the Romans. The article also pays much attention to the existing literature on the subject. Attention was drawn to the extensive output of Polish scholarship, especially in the field of Roman studies.