The Influence of the Roman Empire Essay Example for Free

The Influence of the Roman Empire EssayThe culture of ancient Rome casts a long shadow over our lives in the twenty-first century. Even if we dont remember the origins, the crop of the ancient Romans can be seen all close to us. Many buildings of high importance in the western world show the traditions of Roman architecture.The founding fathers of the United States drew upon Roman examples to craft our faithfulnesss and design our transcription of government. The Roman catch on language, politics and military acquirement be immeasurable. The ancient Romans were the worlds first superpower. Their achievements, and the seeds of their destruction, are mirrored in our lodge today.Master BuildersThe Romans were master builders. Combining what they knew from Greek architecture with their own innovations they constructed spectacular monuments roads aqueducts, arenas and other structures. Many of todays buildings show the direct influence of ancient Rome.The Romans revolutioni zed road building. Their systems of roads are the models for our modern day cities. Advances in concrete production made these roads and many other buildings possible. The Romans might pick up been remembered even if this was their only accomplishment. The source of their vast influence on modern construction stems from their abilities to combine technological advances with functionality and aesthetics.The Romans also perfected the science of arch building. That science is alive and well today in our bridges and buildings. The Romans realized that the arch was an extremely strong, as well as beautiful, architectural form. They used it to full inwardness in their forums, aqueducts, churches and monuments.Our modern sports stadiums let off resemble the Roman prototypes. The Romans devised an ingenious design to move large numbers of people in and out efficiently. The Flavian amphitheatre could bathroom 50,000 spectators, a number rivaling many of todays stadiums.The ancient Romans were early innovators of big entertainment. Fox writes that the Romans were conspicuous in history for the scale of public entertainment. The big arenas hosted music, plays, chariot races and gladiator games. Like today, these entertainments were a cultural touchstone for the ancient Romans.One way the early Roman republic communicated with the citizens was through its coinage. The government oft added phrases to the coins when minted. These phrases might state the grandeur of the empire or communicate the expectations of the larger state to each individual citizen.The coinage tradition has continued to this day. Most U.S. coin bears a phrase such as E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one). Not coincidentally, these phrases are written in Latin, the language of the ancient Romans. This is just one indicator of the influence of the Latin language throughout the world.As an empire, the Romans carried the language and tradition of Latin through large portions of the world. Latin remaine d for centuries the common language of Europe and for longer still the language of the Catholic Church (Wells, 1984).The RepublicThe Roman republic was in place prior to 500 B.C. In 100 B.C. Julius Caesar was born, beginning the succession of Julio-Claudian leaders. By 79 A.D. the empire had disintegrated, but Roman concepts of law and government would carry a heavy influence for many centuries to come.In 18 B.C. the first meaty laws were enacted. These laws penalized adultery and childlessness and promoted childbirth. Like many of our laws today, these laws served a dual purpose. The Roman state needed more people, primarily to replace those who had been lost in a series of brutal wars. At the same time, the laws were a reflection of the prevailing morality of the day. Most countries no longer have comparable laws, but the motivations for the laws remain the same. Laws are part pragmatic, part moral.The early Roman republic was progressive and populist in nature. Offices were cra fted to prevent any one person from seizing power (Matyszak, 2006). The checks and balances our antiauthoritarian nation features today are an outgrowth of that early Roman philosophy of government.We tend to think of democracy as a relatively new movement in the context of history. According to author Robin Fox, ancient Rome might deserve the label democracy (Fox, 2006). Representatives were elected by direct vote. A public vote also preceded the enacting of any new laws.ConclusionThe ancient Roman society was remarkably modern in its nature and in its achievements. Their accomplishments are numerous and have a direct impact on our lives today. Robin Fox writesThe lasting memorials of the Roman Empire are roads and city- buildings, aqueducts and Roman law and the Latin which underlies many European languages. (Fox, 2006)The Roman focus on individualism was a strength of the republic. Unfortunately, it also led to its downfall. Individuals with no control over their self-intereste d pursuits sedulous in power struggles. An alienated public led to a loss of support and paved the way for tyranny. A tyrannical state is destined to fall.It is deceivingly easy for a democracy to move down that road. Democracies can in the short term be more fragile than dictatorships or other forms of government. nation relies on participation and a certain level of moral conduct to maintain itself in the long run.The ancient Romans were an incredibly productive culture. Their achievements have stood the trial run of time. As advanced as their republic was, however it could not resist a slide into tyranny. This provides a lesson for us that goes beyond even their achievements in law, architecture and politics.SourcesFox, Robin Lane. The Classical World an epic history from Homer to Hadrian. NewYork, Basic Books, 2006.Matyszak, Philip. The Sons of Caesar Imperial Romes First Dynasty. London Thames Hudson, 2006.Wells, Colin. The Roman Empire. Stanford, CA Stanford University Pre ss, 1984.