This article gives information some of the ancient Roman contributions to the world and its legacy.
Ancient Roman Contributions to the World: Democracy
The Roman Senate was supposedly founded by Romulus 2756 years ago. The Republic is “only” 2514 years old but was one of the oldest such systems in the world, and one that deeply influenced modern democratic states. The Greek idea of “democracy” is probably further from the current “democratic” system that was the elitist Roman Republic.
The Roman Republic left a form of government similar to the democracy of Greece but with the ability to govern large bodies of people. Rome used a representation method, where senators represented groups of people, allowing for a democracy encompassing a very large population.
Ancient Roman Contributions to the World: Christianity
Though not Rome’s intention, it allowed Christianity to spread and flourish throughout Western Civilization. Rome, unified under one government, made possible the passing of information very quickly, thus greatly assisting the spread of Christianity. Even in the wake of persecution from such rulers as Diocletian and Maximian, Christianity continued to grow in strength.
Ancient Roman Contributions to the World: Culture and Language
Rome was a melting pot of cultures and customs, bringing together countless ideas to a place where these ideas could quickly be passed around like never before in history. Ideas ran rampant through the Roman Empire, mixing cultures and societies. The military fronts of the Roman Empire formed new cities, furthering cultural diffusion by Romanizing much of the Roman front, therefore leaving a permanent Roman mark.
Many barbarian peoples came under the great influence of Rome, which in turn, was passed from generation to generation. Rome left an indelible mark on the Western World through its grandeur and unification.
The Romans contributed greatly in the field of language. It is from them that we get Latin, a written language that is not spoken very often anymore. Many of the words in our present day dictionary were derived from Latin roots which have the same meaning as their present-day counterparts. There were many great literary figures of the ancient Roman era.
Wine-making was not invented by the Romans, but they planted so many vines throughout the empire, that they created a tradition in France, south-western Germany and Mediterranean countries lasting to this day. The world’s greatest wines are direct heirs to Roman wines.
Ancient Roman Contributions to the World: Concrete and construction techniques
Concrete is also another invention that had been previously invented that the Romans borrowed and used quite a bit. They not only borrowed it how it was, they improved upon it, by creating a concrete that could set underwater. Concrete was such a versatile building material that the Romans incorporated it into almost all their buildings, they even constructed the dome of the Pantheon from bricks made of concrete!
More info on- Roman inventions, achievements in engineering
