Roman Roads Press

Roman Roads Press describes itself as a publisher of curriculum and books in the classical Christian tradition. Its team page names the four-year Old Western Culture great books curriculum as its flagship product, and its curriculum page also lists courses in rhetoric, poetry, logic, Latin, calculus, and civics.

Last updated: 2026-10-08 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Classical; video-led great books course plus separate subject courses (the publisher describes its curriculum as classical Christian)
Worldview	The publisher's statement of faith calls it "a distinctly Christian publisher," says its courses reflect a Protestant perspective with a "Mere Christianity" approach, and says its leadership is committed to the major Reformational Protestant confessions, especially the Westminster Confession of Faith, but is also appreciative of the historic Christian traditions
Grades	Varies by product. For Old Western Culture, the overview page says it is designed for grades 9-12, the year information pages are headed grades 9-12+, and the curriculum page lists grades 8-12, adults, scholarship, and teacher training. The curriculum page also lists the Picta Dicta Latin Primer, Grammar, and Readers at levels for grades 3 through college
Formats	Streaming video, with optional DVD or Blu-ray on some courses; PDF or printed workbooks; eText or printed readers and textbooks (Old Western Culture, Fitting Words)
Cost tier	Standard to Premium: a year of Old Western Culture lists at $299 to $583 and the Fitting Words bundle at $115 to $204, retrieved October 2026
Parent intensity	2
ESA-common	The publisher lists the state ESA programs it works with; confirm for your state
Accredited	Not by itself: the founder answered a reader that curriculum is not by itself accredited, and that accredited programs use various curricula, including Old Western Culture
Established	The team page states that Roman Roads Press was founded in 2011
Website	romanroadspress.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	5	Primary-text great books reading, with an average daily load of 30 to 40 pages stated on the publisher's year and unit pages
Ease of teaching	4	Lectures are on video, and the overview page says no lesson prep is needed; the same page lists the Original Workbook in PDF and exams with answer keys as included with every purchase
Content quality	5	In our assessment, the lecture lists are organized around named primary works, which the overview page says run from Homer to Tolkien
Flexibility	5	Old Western Culture streaming access that the publisher says does not expire and is yours for life as long as Roman Roads Press is around to deliver it, Honors and Essentials schedules, and units or years sold separately
Value for money	3	A year lists at $299 to $583 and the four-year series at $1,196 to $2,332 (retrieved October 2026)
Worldview scope	2	Taught from an explicitly Christian perspective
Visual/design	4	The publisher says the video lessons include classical paintings, maps, and timelines
Support resources	3	The publisher lists live chat and email and a private Facebook group, and says it has no full-time phone support staff

Who the publisher is

Roman Roads Press describes itself as a publisher of curriculum and books in the classical Christian tradition, with a stated mission since 2011 of equipping families and schools to "inherit the humanities." Its terms and conditions state that the site is operated by Roman Roads Media, LLC, which they call Roman Roads Press, and its publishing page uses the name Roman Roads Media. The team page states that Daniel Foucachon, Founder and CEO, founded Roman Roads Press in 2011. The contact page gives a Moscow, Idaho mailing address and calls the company small but growing.

The publisher's getting started page says most of its curriculum is available as a live online class through its sister company, Kepler Education. Its history page lists U.S. History and Modernity by Dave Raymond as courses from its partner, Compass Classroom.

The curriculum page lists courses and books by subject, and the by-grade page offers suggested grade packages for 7th through 12th grade and a college-level list. The curriculum page's list includes Old Western Culture and its Readers and Companions, Word Hoard, Fitting Words, Grammar of Poetry, Introductory and Intermediate Logic, Calculus for Everyone, The American Civics Curriculum, Picta Dicta Latin, and other books.

Old Western Culture has four years, each with four nine-week units: The Greeks, The Romans, Christendom, and Early Moderns. The overview page lists 114 authors, from Homer to Tolkien, and gives each unit twelve lectures, which makes 48 lectures a year and 192 in the full series. The overview page lists lectures presented by Wesley Callihan, with guest lecturers on some units: Peter Leithart for Shakespeare in Rise of England, Chris Schlect in The Reformation, Mitch Stokes, who teaches The Enlightenment, and Jonathan McIntosh for Tolkien in The Novels.

The core pedagogy

The overview page describes the course as three steps: read, watch, and discuss. Students read the works in the Old Western Culture Reader, in a Roman Roads Classic, or in an edition they already own; watch a lecture on the story of the work, which the page says includes how to read it as a Christian; and answer questions. The year pages describe the course as classical, Christian, an integrated humanities curriculum, and homeschool-oriented, and say each lesson begins with a brief review before moving into summary, commentary, analysis, and connections to other subjects.

The publisher's overview offers two schedules: an Honors Schedule with the full works and an Essentials Schedule with partial works. A 2022 post on the publisher's blog describes the Essentials reading load as roughly 25% of the honors load. The overview says to plan one to three hours a day, with nine weeks per unit and a term paper if the family wants one, and says exams come with every unit.

How a week runs

The publisher describes nine-week units at one to three hours a day, with Honors and Essentials schedules (the Companions include both schedules with suggested daily work, so far for The Greeks only). Per the Greeks page, students watch a lecture, complete the assigned readings, and answer comprehension questions in the student workbook. The publisher recommends the course for ages 14 and up on the Greeks, Romans, and Christendom pages, says it deals with mature themes, assumes a working knowledge of the Bible and basic Christian doctrine, and encourages parents to watch the video lessons with their children. The publisher's Early Moderns information page says it is intended for high school aged students (14+).

Each year carries two high-school credits, either one dual Integrated Humanities credit or one Literature and one History credit; the publisher says it is not college credit.

What they do exceptionally well

Primary-text structure. In our assessment, the unit lecture lists on the overview page are organized around named works, and the publisher tells families they can read those works in its own Readers or in an edition they already own.

Assessments are included. The overview page states that every purchase includes the Reader eBooks, the Original Workbook in PDF, and exams with answer keys, so a parent does not need to assemble assessments.

Purchase, not subscription. The publisher states that an Old Western Culture purchase is not a subscription and that the buyer keeps it for life, for as long as Roman Roads Press is able to deliver it.

Live-class option. The publisher's getting started page says most of its curriculum is available as a live online class through its sister company, Kepler Education, with classes limited to 12 students; its live classes page describes Kepler as a consortium of independent teachers.

What they do poorly

Price. Each year of Old Western Culture lists at $299 to $583, and the full series at $1,196 to $2,332, depending on options (retrieved October 2026). Printed readers, printed workbooks, and DVDs account for the higher prices.

Reading load and maturity. The Greeks, Romans, and Christendom year pages state an average daily reading load of 30 to 40 pages and recommend ages 14 and up, and the Early Moderns unit pages state the same daily load. In our assessment, a student who cannot sustain that reading will need substantial parent support.

A Protestant, explicitly Christian perspective. The statement of faith says the courses are taught from an explicitly Christian perspective and that teaching will regularly reflect a historical and classical Christian perspective. It also says its courses reflect a Protestant perspective with a "Mere Christianity" approach and that many Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox customers use the courses. Families who want a worldview-neutral course should read the statement before buying.

Companion volumes are still being released. The overview page lists The Greeks Companions as in print or on pre-order, The Romans Companions as coming in 2027, and the Christendom and Early Moderns Companions as in development; the Companions page says families should use the existing PDF or print workbooks for those years in the meantime.

Who it fits

• Classical Christian families who want a great books humanities course taught on video
• Students who can sustain a reading load of 30 to 40 pages a day, as the publisher states it on its year and unit pages
• Families who value reading the primary works over a textbook survey
• Families who want an Old Western Culture purchase that the publisher says they keep for life, as long as Roman Roads Press is around to deliver it

Who it doesn't

• Students who do not read well or do not enjoy demanding reading
• Families for whom a $299 to $583 per-year price is a constraint
• Families who want a worldview-neutral or secular humanities course
• Families who want a program with a stated accreditation status; the publisher's founder says in the FAQ that curriculum is not by itself accredited

Cost honest assessment

The figures below are the publisher's list prices, retrieved October 2026.

• A year of Old Western Culture lists at $299 to $583. The base price of $299 includes streaming video, PDF workbooks, and PDF readers; printed workbooks, DVDs, paperback readers, and hardback readers raise it.
• The complete four-year package lists at $1,196 to $2,332, and each unit at $74.75 to $132.75.
• A school or co-op license for all sixteen units is $79 for an academic year.
• The Greeks Companions are $39 a volume, and the set of four is $156.
• The Fitting Words bundle lists at $115 to $204, the Introductory Logic bundle at $146, and the Grammar of Poetry bundle at $131.

The publisher says it can offer a payment plan on request for purchases of $250 or more and offers need-based scholarships case by case. Its return policy allows a return within 60 days for a full refund.

ESA eligibility notes

As of October 2026, the publisher's ESA page says the most common method is to purchase from its site and submit the invoice to the state ESA program, most often through ClassWallet, and that it is working on a DirectPay option. It lists the states it is currently working with: the NH Scholarship Fund, Ohio's ACE program, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Indiana, with others in progress. It notes that some states require families to request a vendor before the vendor can apply. Confirm eligibility with your state program before ordering.

Alternatives

• Angelicum Academy's Great Books Program, a family would choose Angelicum over Old Western Culture for live online Socratic seminars: the program describes four years of seminars for grades 9-12 that meet once a week for two hours in groups of 20 or fewer.
• Wilson Hill Academy, a family would choose Wilson Hill over Old Western Culture for live online classical Christian classes with a graduation track, which the academy describes as accredited by SACS CASI/Cognia.
• Hillsdale College's online courses, a family would choose Hillsdale's free online courses over Old Western Culture when budget is the primary constraint; the catalog lists Great Books 101, Great Books 102, and Western Heritage, each an 11-lesson course that gives free access to lectures, course readings, and quizzes.