Silk and Status Worksheet Silk & Status
Economic Impact of the Silk Road Trade
Student:
Date:
Part 1: The "Veblen Good" (Warm-up)
A Veblen Good is a luxury item for which demand increases as the price increases, because it serves as a status symbol. Think of designer brands today (e.g., $700 distressed jeans or luxury watches).
Why do people buy items that are intentionally overpriced? What are they trying to communicate to others?
Part 2: Merchants & Markets (Video Notes)
[Video Segment 2:16 - 3:20] The Goods
1. Why was silk considered the ultimate luxury good in the ancient world? Mention at least two reasons.
2. Aside from clothing, how did the Chinese state use silk?
[Video Segment 4:43 - 5:40] Rome & The Merchant Class
3. Why did the Roman Senate repeatedly try to ban the importation of silk? (Think economically and socially).
4. How did the Silk Road provide a "new way" of becoming wealthy, and how did this challenge traditional rulers (Kings/Lords)?
Primary Source: Seneca the Younger
"I see clothes of silk, if materials that do not hide the body, nor even one's decency, can be called clothes... Her husband has no more acquaintance than any outsider or foreigner with his wife's body."
— Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher (4 BCE - 65 CE)
Part 3: Seneca's Complaint (Writing Activity)
The Prompt: Imagine it is 60 CE. Rome's economy is being drained by the purchase of Eastern luxuries, and social norms are shifting. Write a "Letter to the Editor" for a Roman broadside from one of the following perspectives:
Option A: The Conservative Senator
You believe silk is corrupting Roman morals and draining the Empire's gold to foreign lands. You support a total ban on the fabric.
Option B: The Wealthy Merchant
You believe trade makes Rome stronger and more modern. You argue that the "old guard" is just afraid of people who earned their wealth through trade rather than inheritance.
To the Honorable Editor,
Respectfully Signed,
(Include your chosen character's name and title)
Synthesis Question: How did the accumulation of wealth via trade (instead of land ownership) change the balance of power in Roman society?
Seneca's Complaint Rubric Seneca's Complaint
Grading Rubric: Letter to the Editor
Assignment Evaluation
This rubric evaluates the 'Letter to the Editor' assignment regarding the Roman reaction to Silk Road trade. Students are assessed on their ability to embody a historical perspective while analyzing the economic and social tensions of the period.
Criterion Exceeds (4) Meets (3) Approaching (2) Below (1) Historical Accuracy
Use of specific details about Roman life, silk trade, and Seneca's era.
| Seamlessly integrates specific historical facts (e.g., specific goods, the role of Palmyra, or specific Roman laws) into the narrative. | Accurately references the general state of Roman trade and the popularity of silk without major errors. | Mentions silk trade but lacks specific historical context or includes minor anachronisms. | Fails to demonstrate understanding of the historical setting or contains significant inaccuracies. |
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Perspective & Voice
Consistency in the chosen persona (Senator vs. Merchant).
| Strong, distinctive voice. Senator feels authentically traditional/stoic; Merchant feels ambitious/modern. Highly persuasive. | Clearly identifies with the chosen persona and maintains that perspective throughout the letter. | Persona is identifiable but inconsistent or lacks the appropriate tone for a Roman citizen. | Persona is unclear or the student's own modern perspective dominates the writing. |
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Economic Analysis
Understanding of trade impact, status symbols, and wealth.
| Sophisticated analysis of how trade shifts power from land-owning elites to a new merchant class. Mentions "Veblen goods" or status symbols effectively. | Correctly identifies the tension between traditional wealth and new trade-based wealth. Discusses the "drain" on Roman gold. | Mentions that silk is expensive or popular but doesn't explain the deeper economic or social consequences. | Lacks analysis of economic impact or the significance of status symbols. |
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Writing & Mechanics
Structure, grammar, and letter format.
| Flawless grammar and spelling. Sophisticated sentence structure. Follows the letter format perfectly. | Clear writing with very few errors. Follows the letter format (salutation/closing). | Understandable writing but contains several mechanical errors or ignores letter formatting. | Frequent errors make the letter difficult to read; format is not followed. |
Instructor Feedback
Total Points
/ 16
Silk and Status Presentation Silk & Status
Economics of the Silk Road
Warm-up
The Veblen Good
Why do people pay $700 for "pre-distressed" designer jeans that are already torn?
Definition
A luxury item where demand increases as the price increases.
Is the product "better," or does it just communicate your status to others?
It was not a road.
A Network
A massive web of overland and sea routes connecting the Mediterranean to East Asia.
Relay Trade
Goods traveled much further than people. Items changed hands dozens of times.
Hidden Cities
Caravan stops like Palmyra became fabulously wealthy by taxing and hosting traders.
The Silk Road Video
Watching Focus:
2:16–3:20 | 4:43–5:40
Embedded media
Primary Source
"I see clothes of silk, if materials that do not hide the body, nor even one's decency, can be called clothes."
Seneca the Younger, 60 CE
Seneca wasn't just worried about fashion. He was worried about Roman Gold draining out of the empire to buy "immodest" fabric.
The Wealth Problem
Trade Imbalance
Romans were spending vast amounts of silver and gold on imported luxuries.
The Senate repeatedly tried (and failed) to ban silk to keep money in Rome.
Moral Corruption
Silk was "scandalous" because it was sheer. Traditionalists felt it destroyed Roman grit and modesty.
Wealth was changing what it meant to "be Roman."
A New Way to Get Rich
Before the Silk Road, wealth came from land and inheritance.
Now, Merchants could become as rich as Kings through trade, risk, and networking.
"This began the tension we still see today between wealth and politics." — John Green
Activity Time
Letter to the Editor
Option A: The Senator
• Defend Roman tradition
• Argue that silk makes Rome weak
• Complain about the "drain" of gold
Option B: The Merchant
• Argue that trade creates jobs
• Defend the right to earn wealth
• Critique the "old money" elitists
