There are many aspects of Ancient Rome that we see in our society today. Whether these things are in the area of the way we build our buildings and cities, or in the political system we use to govern our country, many of these things were descended from Roman culture. The Romans invented or improved on many things like the game of soccer and the use of columns in architecture. These inventions helped shape the world we know today. We even see some of the Roman politics in our government today. Where do you think we got the idea for a House and a person who could veto any law if they did not agree with it? All of these and more were invented by the Romans and helped them to live their everyday lives. I will not only be looking at what some of these developments were, but also how and why it affects our everyday lives. Without Roman practices and inventions our world would not be like it is today.
One of the big inventions of Rome that is still used today is the aqueducts. These aqueducts were way ahead of their time when you think about it. The aqueducts were a system of troughs built for the transportation of water (http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/ancient_roman_inventions.htm). These aqueducts were also used for irrigation purposes. These aqueducts would go from city to city. They were built not only to transport water, but to also filter the water. These aqueducts were the first man made water purifying system (http://www.unrv.com/culture/roman-aqueducts.php). In order to filter the water they would stack rocks inside of the aqueducts. These rocks would let the water pass through but would keep some of the dirt and other materials behind (http://www.unrv.com/culture/roman-aqueducts.php). These systems of aqueducts were the basis for modern day plumbing that we know today. Having running water throughout our cities and into our homes makes our everyday life possible. We use these plumbing systems to drink from, wash dishes, irrigate crops, and go to the bathroom. The aqueducts changed the way they lived back then and the way we live today.
Another invention of the Romans that is useful still today is a system of roads (http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/ancient_roman_inventions.htm). The Romans were able to see that making pathways that were easy to travel on would be good in helping people get around in a city and also be good in connecting between the cities in their empire. They invented concrete as the material to build the roads with (http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/ancient_roman_inventions.htm). The roads were useful in Roman times, especially when they were traveling long distances with their armies. We depend on roads today for everything from getting us to school and work every day to the transportation of food and products across the country and the world.
Another great architectural invention by the Romans that went along with the roads was bridges. Bridges help us get across the country in a more direct way because we don’t have to go around obstacles like rivers and other steep terrain. Without bridges we would not be able to drive all of the places we drive today. If you think about where you go each morning you will see that many people cross bridges just to get around. These structures helped the Romans and their army get where they wanted to go more quickly and directly. When their armies were going on big trips they needed a bridge to cross over different water bodies instead of having to go longer distances to get around them. We still use bridges today even though they are a lot bigger than the ones built in Roman times.
The Romans also came up with the idea of taking a Census. The Census is a count of the people in country that happens every decade now and makes sure everyone is a counted for. In Roman times, one of the uses of the Census was to make sure that everyone paid the taxes that they were supposed to. Today the Census helps states get the money and programs from the government that is needed to support the number of people in the area.
When you look at developments that the Romans made in the areas of government, architecture and the road system, and compare these to the way we are still doing things today, you can see that there is really nothing ancient about Rome. These Roman inventions are still working in the world today and are necessary for a functional life. The Romans came up with stuff that can last centuries and can still be used as effectively as they were back then.
Citations: "Ancient Roman Inventions." Truly Rome Apartments in Rome. Web. 05 Mar. 2010.
"Aqueduct -." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Mar. 2010.
"Roman Aqueducts." UNRV History - Roman Empire. Web. 06 Mar. 2010.
Picture Citation: "File:Caesarea-13-Aqueducts.jpg -." Wikimedia Commons. Web. 06 Mar. 2010.
No comments:
Post a Comment