I'm not good at this at all. I'm suppose to answer this questions ONLY after picking out a primary source about Rome? Can I have a tutor that is skilled in this area assist? Thank you. You can choose any reliable primary source from the internet.

What to Include in Your Primary Source Annotation

1. Explain what makes your source primary: a. Was the source created close to the time of the event?

2. In a sentence or two, what do we know about this author (e.g., dates, social or marital status, relevant places of residence, etc.)? You might need to get more information about the author!

a. Did the original author have firsthand knowledge of the subject at hand? Or, did he or she report what others saw and heard?

b. What opinions or interests did the author have that influenced what was recorded?

3. What do we know about the source? When, where, and/or why was it created? What type of source is it (e.g., treatise, law code, letter, journal, etc.)?

a. For what purpose was the piece originally written?

b. For whom was the piece originally directed? Did the writer produce the source for personal use, for one or more individuals, or for a large audience? Was the source meant to be public or private?

c. What were the author's motivations for writing? Did the writer wish to inform or persuade others? Did the writer have reasons to be honest or dishonest? Any ulterior motives? What might they have been?

4. Why is this source important?

a. What was going on at the time and place that the source was created? What are the most important issues closely associated with this source?

b. What broader themes does or could the source address that provide insight into the period under consideration?

c. What impact might the source have had in context of its time and/or place?

d. How would you use this source as a piece of historical evidence?

i. What does this source tell us?

ii. What strengths does this source have as historical evidence?

iii. What limitations does this source have as historical evidence?

iv. What questions does it leave unanswered?

v. What other sorts of evidence might support it?

5. What Final Project question will you answer?

6. What specific part of your Final Project could this primary source support? Why?