Rūta Kačkutė. The Amber Road: from Rome to the Baltics

Description

For children aged 6–12.

How to please the Roman emperor Nero, who wants to prove to everyone that he is the most powerful and richest ruler in the world? You won't surprise anyone with silver and gold, but amber is a real rarity, a luxury item. But where can you get enough of it to decorate the entire amphitheater where Nero intends to hold grand gladiatorial fights?

The informative book tells the story of the amber route and the long, tiring and unexpected journey of the ancient Romans all the way to the Baltic lands, which the emperor's soldiers and merchants embarked on with the task of transporting amber to the great Rome.

The book introduces readers to the culture of the ancient Romans and our ancestors, the Balts, and in recreating the ancient Roman journey along the Amber Road, it draws on ancient stories and provides interesting details and facts, such as where the soldiers lived, what weapons they carried, what goods they transported for exchange, and what challenges they faced along the way.

Historian and Director of the National Museum of Lithuania, Dr. Rūta Kačkutė, was inspired to write this book by the international exhibition “1,000,000 Steps: The Amber Road from Rome to the Baltics” curated by her and her colleague Sigita Bagužaite-Talačkiene at the National Museum of Lithuania.