Thirteen comprehensive domains for developing multi-generational leadership
The Classical Family Curriculum organizes knowledge into 13 major domains, each containing multiple subcategories. This structure reflects how successful families across history developed polymaths capable of leadership in multiple areas—not narrow specialists, but broadly educated leaders who could govern estates, manage businesses, lead communities, and preserve family values.
Each domain includes specific classical texts that provide foundational knowledge. These aren't merely historical curiosities but practical guides that remain relevant today. A family doesn't master every domain equally—they emphasize areas aligned with their assets and interests while maintaining foundational literacy across all members.
Foundation for accessing primary sources and developing precise thinking
Foundational knowledge for productive asset ownership and management
Key Texts: Cato, Varro, Columella, Palladius, Pliny Books 14-17, Virgil Georgics
Key Texts: Cato, Columella, Pliny Book 15
Key Texts: Cato, Varro, Columella, Palladius, Pliny Book 18
Key Texts: Columella Book 11, Palladius, Pliny Books 19-20
Key Texts: Varro, Columella Books 6-7, Palladius, Virgil Georgics Book 4
Key Texts: Columella, Vitruvius Book 8, Frontinus Aqueducts
Key Texts: Cato (economic sections), Varro, Columella
Essential skills for self-sufficiency and household operations
Key Texts: Cato, Columella, Pliny, Apicius
Key Texts: Cato, Columella Book 12, Apicius, Pliny
Key Texts: Columella Book 12, Apicius, Xenophon Oeconomicus
Additional comprehensive domains covering all aspects of family leadership
Individual combat skills, unit tactics, fortifications, supply logistics, strategic thinking, and historical campaigns. Develops discipline, leadership under pressure, and protective capabilities.
Key Texts: Caesar, Vegetius, Frontinus, Polybius, Livy
Anatomy, pharmacology, surgery, disease diagnosis, preventive medicine, childbirth, wound care, and medical ethics. Essential for family health management and crisis response.
Key Texts: Hippocrates, Galen, Celsus, Dioscorides, Pliny Books 20-32
Building materials, structural design, water systems, roads, fortifications, and mechanical devices. Practical knowledge for estate management and infrastructure development.
Key Texts: Vitruvius, Frontinus, Hero of Alexandria
Arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, geography, natural sciences, and philosophical foundations. Develops quantitative reasoning and scientific thinking.
Key Texts: Euclid, Ptolemy, Pliny Natural History, Lucretius
Roman law foundations, contract law, property rights, family law, civic duty, political theory, and governance structures. Essential for navigating legal systems and family governance.
Key Texts: Justinian's Digest, Cicero (legal works), Livy, Polybius
Public speaking, argumentation, persuasion, letter writing, negotiation, and debate. Critical for leadership, business, and family communication.
Key Texts: Cicero (rhetorical works), Quintilian, Aristotle Rhetoric
Greek and Roman history, military campaigns, political transitions, rise and fall of states, leadership case studies, and pattern recognition across time.
Key Texts: Plutarch, Livy, Tacitus, Polybius, Thucydides, Herodotus
Poetry, music, theater, visual arts, manners, social customs, and cultural literacy. Develops cultural capital and social sophistication.
Key Texts: Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Terence, Greek tragedies
Hunting, fishing, crafts, tools, household repairs, fire management, navigation, horsemanship, and physical education. Foundational practical competencies.
Key Texts: Xenophon (Hunting, Horsemanship), Varro, practical sections of various authors
Ethics and philosophy, family governance, estate management, business operations, and wealth stewardship. Synthesizes all domains into practical leadership.
Key Texts: Cicero (On Duties), Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Plato, Aristotle (Ethics, Politics)
These domains aren't purely academic—they're designed for practical implementation. A family owning farmland emphasizes Agricultural Operations (Domain II). A family with real estate holdings focuses on Construction & Engineering (Domain VI). A family building operating businesses emphasizes Law & Governance (Domain VIII) and Rhetoric & Communication (Domain IX).
However, all families maintain foundational literacy in Classical Languages (Domain I), History & Strategic Thinking (Domain X), and Integration & Synthesis (Domain XIII). These create the intellectual framework that allows practical knowledge to compound across generations.
Now that you understand the domains, explore how to implement this curriculum in your family.