The Romans Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Romans - Term Paper Example This paper examines the influence of roman civilization on the contemporary society, with focus on engineering, science, mathematics, science and politics. The Roman Empire is the hallmark of Roman civilization and it spread across three continents. The continents included parts of the current Europe, Africa and Asia. The vastness of the empire and its longevity facilitated its widespread influence across the globe. According to Kagan et al (2003), the Western Roman Empire lasted for 1101 years, from 625BC to AD 476. The eastern Roman Empire lasted up to AD 1432. In total, the entire Roman Empire lasted a remarkable 2078 years (Kagan et al, 2003). Comparing it with United States and the significant influence that the country has had in the modern society for a period of less than 250 years, it is apparent Roman Empire had tremendous impact in the world. Before investigating the contribution of the empire to the modern society, it important to examine its salient features. Roman Empir e had a strong military organization that played a critical role in acquisition of larger territories and maintaining absolute loyalty to the emperor. In a period where armies were armed with rudimentary weapons such as spears, swords and shields, the Roman military displayed high level of organization and spirit that ensured success in virtually all battles they were engaged in. According to Rogers (2010), Hellenistic philosophy and roman stoicism played a critical role in maintaining military discipline especially in challenging battles. As their territories expanded, the Romans exerted their influence, bringing with them their culture and language. Latin was the official language of the Romans and after acquisition of larger territories; it was adapted in the entire empire. However, the language later developed and differentiated into two namely vulgar and classical Latin (Kagan, et al, 2003). Classical Latin became the official language for use in academics while Vulgar Latin la ter evolved due to its fluidity to give raise to various languages. Some of the languages that originated from Vulgar Latin include Spanish, Portuguese, French, Romanian and Italian among others (Rogers, 2010). Although Latin was the official language in the empire, the eastern part remained under heavy influence of the Greek language. Kagan et al (2003) attributed the widespread use of Greek in the empire to strong historical ties between Rome and Greece. Greece remained an influential part of Roman Empire in the entire period of the civilization. Kagan et al (2003) argues that while Greeks were popular thinkers, the Roman were doers and practical individuals. The relationship between Greece and the Romans played a crucial role in the stimulating development of science, engineering, mathematics and other technologies in the Roman Empire. The natural character of the Romans is another unique trait that determined the progress of the empire. According to Rogers (2010), Romans were co mpetent at adapting, preserving, applying and disseminating information and technology. This trait enabled them to adapt technology from Greek, who had a rich history of philosophy, science, medicine, and art among other important traditions. Hence, Romans were practical people who applied the technology and information from their Greek counterparts to develop their empire, while Greeks were the innovators. For this reason, Rogers (2010) argues that Romans did not develop