We’ve just welcomed the brand new topics Rise of the Roman Empire and Fall of the Roman Empire to BrainPOP UK.
When we release new history movies we like to take a look back into BrainPOP’s past, as we recently did when we found Young Cratchface Tim’s Victorian diary.
Our search eventually turned up a piece of Roman tablet and a curious mosaic, first discovered in Northern England and transported to the BrainPOP archives.
Once we’d brushed off the dirt we couldn’t quite believe our eyes when we saw the mosaic was decorated with a scene from ancient history.
We saw someone who looked very much like our very own Moby, standing alongside a young man with brown hair.
This is the story on the tablet, translated from the original Latin, of what happened on a fateful day in Rome…
Colosseum, Rome, 88 AD
“The huge crowd cheered as the mighty Emperor Mobius Orangus Caesar rode in on his chariot. Timonius Questionus knelt in chains at the center of the dusty auditorium. A hush fell.
‘Rise and face your Emperor, lowly plebeian!’ a Senator commanded from the podium. Timonius struggled to his feet, for he was weak from days in the dungeons, and looked Emperor Mobius in the eye. Mobius held his gaze.
‘Timonius Questionus,’ the Senator continued, ‘you stand here accused of sorcery. How do you plead?’
‘Not guilty!’ exclaimed Timonius.
The crowd booed. Some even started chanting, ‘Bring out the lions!’ Timonius quaked with fear.
Mobius raised his hand to placate the baying mob, ‘Beepus. Beepus, beepum.’
‘Audaces fortuna iuvat. State your case, Timonius.’ the Senator translated.
‘When your soldiers discovered me in my chamber,’ replied Timonius to the crowd, ‘I was not plotting witchcraft with my companions…I was learning in a new way. The large shimmering pool of light on the wall was not a container for evil spirits but a new type of wax tablet, called an “Interactivium Whiteboardius”, filled with the wonders of knowledge, which we call “BrainPOP”!’
The Emperor looked unconvinced but, being a reasonable robot, he was open to hearing more.
‘BrainPOP is a number of moving scrolls and POPparchments, regaling tales of history and war , to which the children of Rome are enraptured and delighted. Truly, it is the future of learning’.
At this, the crowd cheered. Although famously fickle they were warming to this young man’s bravery. The Emperor considered deeply the young man’s fate.
‘Beep!’ said Emperor Mobius, and he raised his orange thumb upwards, a signal that Timonius had won his freedom!
‘People of Rome!’ the Senator bellowed to the crowd, ‘Timonius is clearly a wise and educated citizen. He will not be put to death this day. Senatus Populus Que Romanus, I shall make him a member of the Rome Assembly. Long live Emperor Mobius!’
Smiling, he turned to Timonius.
‘You must educate our people, dear Timonius. Let us all bathe together in the BrainPOP pool of enlightenment. Education is key to a prosperous and peaceful Republic.’
The Senator released Timonius from his chains and Timonius left the Colosseum to spend his days teaching the people of Rome the Mysteries of Life.”
Timonius’ teachings survive to this day, even surviving the Fall of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century. But that’s a tale for another scroll…
