Teens at the Young Writers' Club went back in time to 410 AD. Discovering a clue(s) from the past is fascinating especially if it paves the way to examine spectacular decisions made based on what the cultural beliefs and practices were at the time.
Considered the facts available and discussed what could have been the right course of action given the cultural beliefs and practices at the time. Often times, in the real world, decisions are made based on what we know. There is always a risk factor involved in most difficult decision making scenarios. The ability to critically evaluate information available is an essential skill to have.
Alaric I, the King of the Visigoths was known for his miliary prowess. He is known for his pillaging victories over Athens, Corinth and Sparta in Greece. In 410 A.D he plundered Rome and robbed the rich off their wealth. At the end of three days, the Visigoth King walked out with his army with wagons filled with gold, silver, silk and pepper. Pepper being a commodity that was added to the treasure gave us a sense of how expensive or rather precious pepper was at the time.
What happened next? Did he continue plundering or did someone bring them down?
The plan was to move towards North Africa which at the time was the major supplier of rice to the Roman empire. Perhaps the plan was to give another powerful blow to the Roman empire. But before that could happen, the King died of fever. Historians believe that he might have died of Malaria.
The million dollar question- What to do with all the wealth that they have amassed?
“They could take it and distribute it amongst themselves.”
“That could be dicey as some could be greedy thus leading to conflict and potentially war. Alternatively there could be extensive looting.”
“How about burying it with the King? No one gets it. It goes with the King. This will make sense if he wasn’t the dictator kinds and was a good king for his subjects.”
“Find a good way to preserve it for later use for the community.”
What really happened in 410 A.D? What did they choose to do? Did any of our solutions get adopted? All of this more, in part 2.
Stay tuned.
Previously published on Musings from the Young Writers’ Club is a Talking Circles publication.
If you enjoyed reading this article, click on the button below to stay informed.
Both weekday and weekend batches are available at the Young Readers' Club for the 8-12 age group.
NEW! Writing programs for the 8-12 age group- Young Writers' Club Jr.
The Young Writers' Club program for the 13-15 age group offers a weekly platform to read and discuss curated articles from the news, observe writing approaches and practise one's writing skills.
NEW! Musings from the Young Writers' Club is an online magazine showcasing the work we do at the Young Writers' Club.
Need more information? Please fill in the contact form below. We will revert asap!
Comments