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Roman influence on western civilization
Some contributions to western civilization
Roman influence on western civilization
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Throughout time, it has been said that the Romans have made some major contributions when it came to Western civilization. A plethora of the contributions were in the categories of the law and engineering. In the law field, Romans left behind a great legacy for Western civilization, for instance one contribution being their Twelve Tables. The Twelve Tables established written rules of criminal and civil law. Not only with the Twelve Tables, but they developed the distinction between public law in which the state is concerned directly and private law which involves disputes between persons, the process of making laws has also had an influence on modern democratic political systems. During the Roman Republic, lawmaking was a bicameral activity and legislation was passed by an assembly of the citizens. It was then approved by the representatives of the upper class, or the senate, and issued in the name of the senate and the people of Rome. Many countries like the United States have adopted the republican Rome as a reproduction for their own governments. …show more content…
On the other hand , they made quite an impact on the engineering world. The top two of their most influential contributions were the roads and arches. Without roads the world would be a totally different place, traveling would not be as easy as it is today. A lot of roads that were created in ancient Rome still exist today; meanwhile the roads of highways are constantly being reconstructed. Hence, with the aid of arches, bridges and aqueducts came into play. Engineering was a method that the Romans used to better their daily life issues such as water supply and irrigation, which was resolved with the invention of aqueducts. An aqueduct is a navigable channel constructed to convey water. Around the Middle Ages it was used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose. Feudalism is a word of broad meaning when it comes to the world of history, some say that it is a decentralized organization that arises when central authority cannot perform its functions and others may describe it as the willingness to be ruled by lords, but according to most it is seen as a dominant social system that existed during Medieval times that you could not escape.
The feudal system was one that arose in England after the invasion and conquest of William I. It has been said that this was the perfect political system for this time period. Life was really hard back in the Middle Ages and safety and defense were really hard to come by after the empire fell. There were no laws to protect the poor, so they turned to their lords to keep them safe. The king was in complete control of the system and he owned all the land. One quarter was kept as private property and the rest was given to the church or leased
out. The feudal system was organized as a big pyramid, at the top was the king; he gave fiefs to the lords, protection and received money and military services. Next in line are the lords or nobles. They were the portion of the population that established their own legal systems, currency and tax regulation schemes, and granted fiefs to the knights. In return for the land that they received from the king, they had to serve on the council, provide the king with armed soldiers or knights, provide food and pay rent and taxes. Thirdly are the knights or vassals, they granted fiefs to the peasants and serfs, received crops and labor. Last, but not least are the peasants and serfs at the very bottom of the pyramid. They received land to farm in exchange for labor and crops. As a result of this system the Europeans succeeded in withdrawing from raids and brought back a sense of peace that allowed a revival of trade and commerce. With the addition of other enterprises using the same system.
Augustus Caesar was very ambitious leader. He is best known for bringing peace to Rome. Augustus was considered the first great roman emperor, because He didn’t care about wealth and fortune. Augustus cared about the people of Rome. He was a great military leader and was successful in most of his missions. He showed people that being a good ruler requires a lot of hard work and dedication. He was a very generous man. Augustus was greatly admired by the Roman people.
In the year 499 A.D. Rome's government leaders came together to form the first Roman laws put into writing, the Twelve Tables. The Twelve Tables resembles the U.S. constitution and how they came together to make the law. The Romans established a republic, which is similar to the U.S. democracy. The major difference is that in a democra...
Rome's vast empire lasted for an amazing one thousand-year reign. Half of it referred to as the republic, and the other as the empire. However, after its fall in 5oo-a.d. Rome has still remained in existence through its strong culture, architecture, literature, and even religion (Spielvogel 175). Even after its disappearance as a nation Rome left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten. Its ideals and traditions have been immolated, and adopted for over two thousand years. Whether, it is through its language of Latin, its influence of religion, or its amazing architectural ability Rome has influenced almost every culture following its demise. The heritage of Rome has been passed down through three different channels; one is through the eastern Roman Empire; through the Roman Catholic Church, and consciously by any and every one who has been in touch with Roman Culture (Hadas 157).
Roman law has probably been the most influential to the modern world. The twelve tables have help shape the governmental system used in many countries. The Romans have given the modern world the stepping stones for a great society, led by an organized and morally strong government.
Feudalism is a system of land ownership and duties that were used in the Middle Ages. Under feudalism, all the land in a kingdom was the king's. However, the king would give some of his land to the lords or nobles who fought for him. Rulers in all society wanted to create law and order and ensure that people make good use of the society’s resources. That is why feudalism was created. Monarchs had to accept limits on their own personal power. They also needed to respond to expectations that other groups in society have a say in decision-making. People began to use medieval courts for problems that had previously been solved by trial by combat.
Feudalism came to as a government containing kings, vassals, knights, lords, lesser lords, and peasants. Feudalism is a loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords divided their lands among lesser lords in exchange for military services and pledged loyalty. It came to as a need for control over peasants and protection from the Muslims and the Magyars.
The Roman Empire is known as one of the most powerful and influential empires the world has ever seen. At it’s height, this Empire had peace, economic prosperity and was expanding. Roman cities contributed to a fair amount of this success because they contributed to many advances during Pax Romana and united the empire. After the fall of the Empire, Christianity survived because although the empire separated into many kingdoms they were still being influenced by the religion.
The Feudal system had no type of economic system in place; instead it was a mix of social and religious activities that embraced the system. This was because the
Rome was one of, if not, the most influential civilization in the western world. Rome once ruled the majority of the known western world, yet it was unable to hold that title. The Roman Empire eventually came to an end just like many other civilization, but the reasons for its downfall are still being debated to this day. Rome didn’t disappear overnight it was a steady downfall that consisted of several different symptoms. Symptoms that when combined together created the perfect storm to bring down the most powerful Empire in the world at that time, at least the western portion of it.
"Law of the Twelve Tables." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. .Donn, Mr. "The Twelve Tables - Ancient Rome for Kids." The Twelve Tables - Ancient Rome for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. http://rome.mrdonn.org/12tables.html"Roman Law." N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. http://chip.choate.edu/
According to roman mythology, Rome was founded thanks to two brothers, Romulus and Remus. Both found a city near the Tiber river and chose a hill to begin their own settlement. However, taunting and teasing from Remus brought upon his death at the hands of his very own brother, Romulus. Romulus then of course named is city after himself, Rome. An ancient civilization full of wars, peace, greed, a disciplined navy, an efficient bureaucracy and rebellion, Ancient Rome was an empire of high status. Many features of Ancient Rome are still present in some cultures today. However, it’s the question of How and why. Law, certain practices, and war were main events in roman history.
The Roman Republic began in 509 B.C.E. with the overthrow of the Etruscan monarchy. In 27 B.C.E the Roman Empire began with Octavian Caesar becoming the emperor, this ended almost 500 years of republican self-government. There is much debate over why Rome became so powerful so quickly. Many think it had to do with Rome’s military strength. Others think that it was because Rome knew of and controlled most of the trade routes. Still others believed it had to do with the technology that was advanced during the Roman Republic. All of these factors played significant roles, but which one played the most important role?
The Roman Empire of the third century saw a period of great instability due to the short reigns of its many emperors. It was dangerous to be the emperor in an era that was filled with rebellions and multiple men vying for the throne. In response to their precarious position at the head of the empire, many third century emperors tried to bolster their power through whatever means necessary. These men bought the loyalty of the army while subduing the political and military threat that the Senate posed. This created an emperor, who by the fourth century was vastly more powerful than those of the principate and who saw their power expand beyond the government.
The ancient Romans had many contributions that were important to the western civilization. Some of their contributions include the aqueducts, public baths, markets, and juries. The Romans were also the greatest builders of the ancient western world. They created a legacy that proved to be as dominant as it was long lasting and many roman principles are embodied in their modern instructions. The Romans made varies of contributions to the Western Civilization, but a few are the most important of all. Rome was the most important civilization to the Western World. It had left a great legacy behind by paving the road for the spread of Christianity, forming the basis for the republic, and allowing for a widespread diffusion of culture.
Although scholars dispute its roots, Feudalism was mostly seen in Frankish lands around the 9th and 10th century. ("Feudalism: History of Feudalism in Europe." Infoplease.) The system was first introduced as a means of protection for the king. However, as time grew the opportunity to use it as means of exchange for services between the king and vassal was found. Instead of just forcing people into the king’s army the idea of giving fiefs to those who would pledge their life to service the king was decided on. Likewise, vassal, or the knights saw the advantages they had that could be used to their advantage.