How the Ancient Roman Empire still influences our lives today
Posted: Friday, February 23, 2007
by Terry Knouse
World Wide Store
The Roman Empire, at its height, included about a fourth of Europe, much of the Middle East, and the entire northern coastal area of Africa. Its millions of people spoke many languages and worshipped different gods, but they were united by the military power and government of the Romans. The city of Rome grew from a farming village in central Italy to become the capital of the huge empire.
The Romans built roads, aqueduct, and bridges so skillfully that many are still in use 2000 years after they were constructed, building based on Roman architecture stand throughout North and South America and Europe.
The principles that bound the Roman Empire together were justice, tolerance and desire for peace, influence countless generations. Roman cruelty and greed caused great misery, and the use of force brought hardship and death, but the Romans qualities of pietas (sense of duty), gravitas (seriousness of purpose), and dignitas (sense of personal worth) remain ideals for peoples everywhere.
In the 2nd millennium BC, the Romans emerged from a small settlement near Rome to begin a course of expansion that was to make them the dominant power in the Mediterranean. By the 1st century AD, Roman territories expanded from Britain in the North to Egypt in the South. Much of the Roman culture and crafts reflected the preceding, Hellenistic period, however, their extensive trade network provided them with a great variety of materials. Artisans often combined styles and materials creating their own unique designs. While personal adornment was frowned upon by the early Romans, their attitude of austerity had diminished by the 1st century BC and a rich variety of jewelry abounded. Roman jewelry reflected both the Hellenistic influence and the Eastern taste for colored stones, glass beads, bronze, gold and silver. Although scarce at first, true bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, was rarely used. During the 2nd millennium, the use of true bronze greatly increased. Homer in the illiad relates how Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire, threw cooper, tin, silver and gold into his furnace to make the shield of Achilles.
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)it was pretty good. helped me a lot with my research project. could do with more though. the last BIG paragraph didn't have anything on influences, more on metal.
i enjoyed your article however it would have been good if you included how law, military organization, and people like napoleon, charlemagne, and hitler were influenced by roman virtues and ideals etc. either way your article was well made and you added many important things thank you for the article
This article was rather helpful to me with my World History project but definetly could have used more examples. Some of it wasn't relative at all though like the last paragraph but it still had some usefull information.
IT was great,it was like a basic little lesson to know,article was the (floor of a building)the basic
This is an excellent article. For the Roman Republic (509-27 B.C.), also consider virtus, fides, and veritas.
it was very helpful for my school essay, but add in some Julius Caesar for goodnes sake!! i was kinda in the dark about him, and this artical didnt help. also, being a collector my self, MORE ABOUT THE JEWELRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh, ya, and medicine.
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