Ancient Rome was a civilization that impacted the world significantly in its own era through its large military excursions, as well as the cultural influence it had on the regions surrounding it, and has had lasting impacts on modern civilizations as well, even after it’s decline. While all modern civilizations are generally built on the remnants of ancient civilizations in at least some ways, ancient Rome left a significant impact on North American culture specifically that is distinguishable from other civilizations of the same time period. While there are many artifacts that ancient Rome left behind, the most significant artifacts that leave a lasting legacy can be narrowed down to architecture, government, and law.

                Architecture demonstrates the cultural and artistic values of a civilization and much of what we know of roman culture comes from their lasting architecture, but besides cultural importance, architecture holds practical importance as well.[1] The architectural feats of ancient Rome were significant in their own time to the people of Rome, as well as neighboring regions, due to the extraordinary number of bridges and roads engineered.[2] Roman engineering led to invention of concrete, which enabled the construction of roads and bridges to an extent that had not been previously seen in ancient civilization.[3] The roads and bridges across the vast empire of Rome demonstrated Rome’s power, enabled Rome’s military expeditions, benefited the economy through trade-routes, and created a higher standard for travel.[4] Where there were once impassable rivers and rough terrain, there were now sophisticated, well-made bridges and concrete roads, which helped to convey a commanding presence to, not only Roman citizens, but surrounding regions.[5] Roads and bridges were crucial to military expeditions, as supply routes and reduced travel time made it easier for Rome to out-maneuver their enemies, as well as the ability to swiftly respond to any threats.[6] While the Roman military benefited from the roads and bridges constructed, they were also a benefit to the economy, enabling trade routes not only between cities, but regions.[7] Military and economic benefits were largely important in the creation of the Roman Empire, but the social benefits from accessible roads and bridges have lasted well beyond ancient Rome.[8] Roadside inns, road signs and rest stops all originated in Rome in order to help travellers with their journeys and have since been innovated to be a standard in modern society.[9] Roads became a necessity that have lasted till modern day, due to the standard that ancient Rome set for travel as well as their demonstration of military and economic benefits.[10] While ancient Rome saw numerous benefits due to their architectural innovations, the roads and bridges of ancient Rome have left the longest legacy, as the impact has lasted till modern day.[11]

                Every civilization that has thrived has used some form of government, whether it be theocracy, monarchism, democracy, etc., and ancient Rome not only thrived with their form of government, but left a lasting legacy on governments to this day.[12] The specific change ancient Rome had on governmental procedures was the introduction of governmental branches, specifically the roles of the consuls, magistrates, tribunes, and the senate.[13] Rome was not the first democracy, and what we define as democracy has largely changed since ancient Rome, but Rome was the first civilization that incorporated different branches of government into their democratic model.[14] This model which incorporated multiple branches of government benefited the people of Rome as there was a distribution of power, which allowed for debate on sensitive issues which if not under the same model would have had little to no discussion at all.[15] This model was significant to not only the patricians of Rome, but the plebeians as well, as they too were allowed to vote on who would be elected for consuls, tribunes, and magistrates.[16] While the distribution of power in governmental branches is significant alone, the manner in which the were distributed is also significant, in that there were consuls, magistrates, tribunes, and the senate, each with varying levels of power and control.[17] The consuls consisted of two elected officials who acted as governors of Rome and were required to both agree on all decisions; as to not give sole power to any person for too long a time, one could only be a consul for one year every ten years.[18] Magistrates were elected officials as well and were in charge of keeping law and order, as well as managing the financial aspects of Rome.[19] Tribunes were also elected officials who acted as a sort of union for the people of Rome, as it was their responsibility to make sure the people of Rome were treated fairly.[20] While members of the senate were not elected, consisting mainly of retired magistrates, they held no actual power over governmental affairs and acted only as advisors to the two consuls, although their advice was taken very seriously.[21] While this model of distribution of power was not perfect, it allowed a safeguard against any one individual gaining complete control over all governmental decisions, and was effective enough that we modeled modern governments after it.[22] Modern democratic governments all operate with some sort of division of power through governmental branches, which under normal circumstances do not allow for one individual to have complete control over all governmental operations, similar to the Roman government.[23] While there are many differences between modern governments and that of ancient Rome, the innovations on government ancient Rome had were enough to last more than 1,000 years and impact how modern civilizations form their own governments, making it one of the greatest legacies of ancient Rome.

                Laws are an essential part of modern civilization and have been apart of almost every significant civilization that has existed to some extent.[24] Law is important to society as it restricts certain harmful behaviours, acts as a guideline for how to act in a manner which is acceptable to society, and is a medium in which social reform in a given civilization can be enacted.[25] While ancient Rome not only utilized the use of law in creating a lasting civilization, they also invented new legislative procedures and concepts which were substantial enough to their own civilization that some are still used today.[26] Some of those most substantial legislative procedures and concepts created by ancient Rome that are still used today include preliminary hearings, appeals, and trial by jury.[27] Preliminary hearings are a procedure in which after a criminal complaint has been made by the prosecutor, it is determined whether or not there is enough evidence to warrant a trial.[28] Preliminary hearings are essential in managing the influx of cases which would be a burden to the judicial system, as well as providing a benefit to the parties involved with the case, in that the nature of the case is better understood if it were to go to trial.[29] An appeal is another important legal concept which was created in ancient Rome and is the right to appeal to a higher court when you have lost to a lower court, believing it to be due to an error of the lower court.[30] This legal concept allows not only for corrections to be made by higher authorities, but gives parties a chance to demonstrate their case a second time if they feel the court had made mistakes which affected the outcome.[31] The right to a trial by jury is an essential part of many humanitarian principles and is widely considered to be the best method of democratic administration of justice.[32] A trial by jury is a trial in which the final verdict is made by a jury of various citizens, rather than by a lone judge, which encourages community participation, reduces the chance of a singular individual’s bias affecting the outcome of the trial, and allows for better representation of community values.[33] The affect ancient Rome has had with the creation of their legislative concepts and procedures, such as preliminary hearings, appeals, and trial by jury not only impacted the lives of Romans of the time, by giving them more rights and freedoms, but impacts modern civilizations as well.[34] While ancient Romans had better lives due to the inclusiveness and fairness of Roman law, but it also has affected modern lives by instilling values about human rights regarding legislation that we still hold today, which is why it is one of the lasting legacies of Rome.[35]

All modern civilizations take aspects from ancient civilizations that they then use to build their own unique civilizations, but the impact ancient Rome had was not only substantial but fundamental in the creation of many modern civilizations. While there are many aspects of modern life which would simply not exist without the innovations or inventions of the ancient Romans, we can narrow down what artifacts left the greatest legacy by examining how much they affected the people of time, as well as how they still affect us today. The legacies of Rome are numerous and which legacies are the most substantial is debated and will continue to be debated as long as we strive to learn more about our own civilization and ancient civilizations, but given the evidence available at present, the artifacts which have been shown to have left the largest legacies are architecture, government, and law.

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[1] Colin Szasz, “The Influence of Roman Engineering and Architecture” (McGill University, 2001)

[2] Szasz, “The Influence.”

[3] Szasz, “The Influence.”

[4] “8 Ways Roads Helped Rome Rule the Ancient World,” last modified August 29, 2018, https://www.history.com/news/8-ways-roads-helped-rome-rule-the-ancient-world

[5] Szasz, “The Influence.”

[6] “8 Ways.”

[7] “8 Ways.”

[8] “8 Ways.”

[9] “8 Ways.”

[10] “The Influence of Roman Engineering on the Contemporary World,” last modified June 20, 2012, https://www.acorn-ind.co.uk/insight/The-Influence-of-Roman-Engineering-on-the-Contemporary-World/

[11]“The Influence of Roman.”

[12] “What was Ancient Rome’s Influence on Government and Democracy Today,” accessed May 31, 2019, https://www.ancientfacts.net/ancient-romes-influence-government-democracy-today/?view=all

[13] “The Romans – Roman Government,” accessed June 17, 2019, https://www.historyonthenet.com/the-romans-roman-government

[14] “The Romans.”

[15] “The Romans.”

[16] “The Romans.”

[17] “The Romans.”

[18] “The Romans.”

[19] “The Romans.”

[20] “The Romans.”

[21] “The Romans.”

[22] “Roman Government,” last modified November 29, 2015, https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Government/

[23] “Roman Government.”

[24] “Importance of Law in Society,” last modified November 8, 2018, https://legaldesire.com/article-importance-of-law-in-society/

[25] “Importance of Law.”

[26] “What are the Lasting Legacies of the Roman Empire on Modern Governments?,” last modified January 4, 2018, https://dailyhistory.org/What_are_the_Lasting_Legacies_of_the_Roman_Empire_on_Modern_Governments%3F#cite_note-10

[27] “What are the Lasting Legacies.”

[28] “Preliminary Hearings and Serious Criminal Cases,” accessed on June 17, 2019, https://robichaudlaw.ca/ontario-criminal-court-procedures/preliminary-hearings-criminal/

[29] “Preliminary Hearings.”

[30] “The Appeal Process,” accessed on June 17, 2019, http://bryanappeals.com/resources/the-appeal-process

[31] “The Appeal Process.”

[32] “The Role of the Public,” last modified October 16, 2017, https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/just/12.html

[33] “The Role of the Public.”

[34] “What are the Lasting Legacies.”

[35] “What are the Lasting Legacies.”

Bibliography

Acorn. 2012. The Influence of Roman Engineering on the Contemporary World. June 20. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://www.acorn-ind.co.uk/insight/The-Influence-of-Roman-Engineering-on-the-Contemporary-World/.

Ancient Facts. n.d. What was Ancient Rome’s Influence on Government and Democracy Today. Accessed May 31, 2019. https://www.ancientfacts.net/ancient-romes-influence-government-democracy-today/.

Andrews, Evan. 2018. 8 Ways Roads Helped Rome Rule the Ancient World. August 29. Accessed May 30, 2019. https://www.history.com/news/8-ways-roads-helped-rome-rule-the-ancient-world.

Bryan, Bruce. n.d. The Appeal Process . Accessed June 17, 2019. http://bryanappeals.com/resources/the-appeal-process.

Crystalinks. n.d. Roads in Ancient Rome. Accessed June 18, 2019. https://www.crystalinks.com/romeroads.html.

Daily History. 2018. What are the Lasting Legacies of the Roman Empire on Modern Governments? January 4. Accessed June 17, 2019. https://dailyhistory.org/What_are_the_Lasting_Legacies_of_the_Roman_Empire_on_Modern_Governments%3F#cite_note-10.

Department of Justice. 2017. The Role of the Public. October 16. Accessed June 17, 2019. https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/just/12.html.

Rank, Scott. n.d. The Romans – Roman Government. Accessed June 17, 2019. https://www.historyonthenet.com/the-romans-roman-government.

Robichaud’s Criminal Defence Litigation. n.d. Preliminary Hearings and Serious Criminal Cases. Accessed June 17, 2019. https://robichaudlaw.ca/ontario-criminal-court-procedures/preliminary-hearings-criminal/.

S.B. 2013. What is the difference between common and civil law? July 17. Accessed June 18, 2019. https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2013/07/16/what-is-the-difference-between-common-and-civil-law.

Szasz, Colin. 2001. “The Influence of Roman Engineering and Architecture .”

Tiwari, Kishan. 2018. Importance of Law in Society. November 8. Accessed June 17, 2019. https://legaldesire.com/article-importance-of-law-in-society/.

Wasson, Donald. 2015. Roman Government. November 29. Accessed June 17, 2019. https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Government/.

For the decline of any civilization, there are many artifacts which contribute to that decline, but as we look back, it becomes easier to discern what the most significant artifacts were. For ancient Rome, the artifacts which contributed the most to the decline of ancient Rome were political instability, relying on slaves for labour, and invasions from enemy tribes. While there are other artifacts which also contributed to the decline of Roman civilization, political instability, relying on slaves for labour, and invasions from enemy tribes demonstrate the biggest impact.

                Political stability is a necessary component of any civilization if it intends to prosper, as political leaders give a civilization a sense of direction, unity, and are essential for ensuring military operations can be run effectively. While Rome’s political system did not start out as unstable, we start to see the slow decline after Rome was changed from a republic into an empire, with Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, creating the praetorian guard.[1] Augustus designed the praetorian guard to act as personal bodyguards for the Emperor, as well as the royal family, but their position as bodyguards became more controversial, as they acted out a number of assassinations on those Roman emperors they vowed to protect.[2] While there were instances that the praetorian guard created good short-term effects by killing off an emperor, but the lasting long-term affects caused by the constant political chaos was an ultimate detriment to the Roman Empire.[3] The praetorian guards slow change from loyal servants to buyable mercenaries showed a negative change in the leadership of Rome with the position of emperor degrading to whoever had enough money to purchase the position, causing the common people to lose more and more trust in their government.[4] While the Emperors themselves alongside other factors contributed to the decline of Rome, the praetorian guard promoted corruption, betrayal and chaos to be an expected aspect of the Roman Empire, ultimately leading to its decline.[5]

                The social systems of a civilization are vital for its success and thus when a civilizations social system is disrupted or altered, most often results in the subsequent civilizations decline. In ancient Rome, slaves were essential for agricultural aspects, as plantations run by slaves provided the cheapest labour costs and with an exponentially growing population, resources needed to be produced in mass quantities.[6] While slave-run plantations were a solution to a short-term problem of agricultural resources, it ultimately led to disruption of the social system, as slave labour replaced work for the average Roman citizen.[7] While agricultural work used to be done the roman populace, as more conquests brought back more and more slaves, they slowly took over the market, causing agricultural business to be controlled by the social elite, instead of the lower class.[8] The slow rise of unemployment due to slave-run plantations taking over the agricultural industry caused a significant rift between the social classes, even causing mobs to be created by angry unemployed citizens.[9] Slavery slowly took over almost every other market that had previously been held by the lower class, which although could be seen as  a positive change for the higher class citizens, due to cheaper labour, but for the lower class, they had no other choice but to rely on the government for support.[10] Because of the slow take over of slave labour, the lower class started straining on the Roman economy, as well as creating violent mobs, which also strained on the government, ultimately causing slave labour to be one of the reasons ancient Rome’s civilization declined.[11]

                Invasion by enemy tribes in ancient Rome was an issue that was constant and continuously dealt with through the civilization’s history, but as other factors such as poor economy and an unstable government weighed on ancient Rome, it later became a factor for the decline of the civilization.[12] Rome suffered the same problem with the Roman army that they did with slavery, most of the Roman army was compiled of immigrant soldiers whose homeland was taken over by Roman conquest.[13] There were often even generals who would be considered barbarians, or at the very least not true Romans, which not only caused many civil wars through war generals declaring themselves to be emperors, but also caused allies to barbarian forces to be put directly into the Roman army.[14] This caused a large problem for the Roman government, as they were not only fighting barbarian tribes which were invading, as they had been for hundreds of years, but they were now also facing new threats of civil war.[15] While this situation of continuous external and internal war was something that Rome had inevitably caused itself, it was a slow progression through hundreds of years of conquest and migration, which led up to an ultimate turning point for the civilization.[16] This turning point was when Western Rome was conquered during a revolt by the barbarian Odoacer in 476 C.E., with the emperor at the time, Romulus Augustulus being deposed.[17] Although the Eastern Roman Empire did continue until the 15^th century, many regard the conquering of the Western Roman Empire as when the Roman empire fell, as the Eastern Empire developed a new identity as the Byzantine Empire.[18]

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                Ancient Rome was one of many great civilizations that left lasting impacts on society and although it was a successful civilization for many hundreds of years, it ultimately declined. The decline of any civilization will have multiple causes, and the decline of Roman civilization is no exception, with the greatest causes for its decline still being debated by historians to this day, as well as entirely new theories being presented. While there are many factors to account for when in regards to the decline of Roman civilization, political instability, relying on slaves for labour, and invasions from enemy tribes are the artifacts that ultimately caused the most impact and eventually led to its decline.

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[1] “The Praetorian Guard,” last modified October 29, 2018, https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/military-history/the-praetorian-guard/

[2] “The Praetorian Guard.”

[3] Adam Renner, “What Impact did the Praetorian Guard have on the Political Climate of the Roman Empire?” (M.A. diss., Newcastle University, 2011)

[4] Adam Renner, “What Impact did the Praetorian Guard have on the Political Climate of the Roman Empire?” (M.A. diss., Newcastle University, 2011)

[5] Adam Renner, “What Impact did the Praetorian.”

[6] “Ancient Roman Slavery,” accessed May 20, 2019, https://www.unrv.com/slavery.php

[7] “Ancient Roman Slavery.”

[8] “Ancient Roman Slavery.”

[9] “Ancient Roman Slavery.”

[10] Henry Hazlitt, “Poor Relief in Ancient Rome,” The New York Tribune, June 20, 1931, accessed May 20, 2019, https://fee.org/articles/poor-relief-in-ancient-rome/

[11] Henry Hazlitt, “Poor Relief.”

[12] “Why Did Ancient Rome Fall?,” accessed May 20, 2019, https://www.history.co.uk/shows/barbarians-rising/articles/why-did-ancient-rome-fall

[13] “Military aspects in the fall of the Roman Empire,” accessed on May 20, 2019, https://mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/military-aspects-in-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire.htm

[14] “Military aspects.”

[15] “Military aspects.”

[16] “Military aspects.”

[17] “Divorce and Decline: The Division of the East and West Roman Empires,” last modified July 30, 2018, https://www.historyhit.com/divorce-and-decline-the-division-of-east-and-west-roman-empires/

[18] “Divorce and Decline.”

Bibliography

Andrews, Evan. 2018. 8 Things You May Not Know About the Praetorian Guard. August 29. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-praetorian-guard.

Blumberg, Arnold. 2018. The Praetorian Guard. October 29. Accessed May 18, 2019. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/military-history/the-praetorian-guard/.

Bradley, Keith. 2018. A Bitter Chain: Reflections on Slavery in Ancient Rome. September 1. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://brewminate.com/a-bitter-chain-reflections-on-slavery-in-ancient-rome/.

Hazlitt, Henry. “Poor Relief in Ancient Rome.” The New York Tribune, June 20, 1931. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://fee.org/articles/poor-relief-in-ancient-rome/.

History. n.d. Why Did Ancient Rome Fall. Accessed May 17, 2019. https://www.history.co.uk/shows/barbarians-rising/articles/why-did-ancient-rome-fall.

Korostyshevskiy, Vladimir. 2015. Shutterstock. July 30. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rome-italy-july-30-2015-ancient-323275574.

Maria Milani. n.d. Military aspects in the fall of the Roman Empire. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/military-aspects-in-the-fall-of-the-roman-empire.htm.

Renner, Adam.”What Impact did the Praetorian Guard have on the Political Climate of the Roman Empire.” M.A. diss., Newcastle University, 2011.

Ricketts, Colin. 2018. Divorce and Decline: The Division of East and West Roman Empires. July 30. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://www.historyhit.com/divorce-and-decline-the-division-of-east-and-west-roman-empires/.

UNVR. n.d. Ancient Roman Slavery. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://www.unrv.com/slavery.php.

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By Sarah Young

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Concrete is a huge part of modern infrastructure and many architectural feats would simply not exist without it, but even if architectural wonders were not accounted for, concrete is important in that it allows for a way to quickly build reliable infrastructure. This ability to quickly build reliable infrastructure was a large aspect of why Rome flourished as a civilization, some of these infrastructures including roads which acted as trade routes for Rome, boosting their economy.[1] Besides the economical advancement that concrete gave Rome, the ability to give the population housing and cultural buildings that were reliable in all forms of weather, was what made concrete such a historically significant artifact to the development of Rome.[2]

While Concrete helped Rome create the infrastructure needed to house a large population, the aqueduct systems helped to sustain that population by providing easily accessible clean water.[3] Aqueducts systems consisted mostly of underground tunnels or above-ground arcades, these systems would transport water from springs or lakes to a large tank in the city, called a castellum.[4] Water would then be diverged from the castellum to the wider population through public fountains, drinking basins, or public baths.[5] Water is necessary for human life and even unclean water can cause a large detriment to one’s health; the aqueduct systems present in Rome, not only provided a large quantity of water, but also provided water of a reputable quality, which is why it is one of the most historically significant artifacts to the development of ancient Rome.[6]

The acta diurna gave the Civilization of Rome an essential addition to their culture, a way in which the populace could be updated on social and political news through public notices written on stone, later being written in papyri.[7] The acta diurna created a way in which important political or social information could be quickly relayed to a large portion of the population, which resulted in sense of community between the people, as well as a means in which to communicate with each other on a larger level.[8] While communication in and between ancient civilizations used to only consist of word of mouth, depending greatly on meeting people at the right time, the acta diurna gave Rome an important advantage in that everyone in Rome were on somewhat of the same level of knowledge on the relevant topics of time.[9] This advantage in communication was a large social benefit to the Roman civilization, which is why it is one of their most historically significant artifacts.

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[1] “Roman Concrete: The Volcanic Material That Erected the Roman Empire,” accessed May 12, 2019, https://www.historicmysteries.com/roman-concrete/.  

[2] “Roman Concrete.”

[3] “Watering Ancient Rome,” last modified February 22, 2000, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/roman-aqueducts/

[4] “Watering Ancient Rome.”

[5] “Watering Ancient Rome.”

[6] “Watering Ancient Rome.”

[7] “Acta Diurna: The Telegraph of Ancient Rome, Bringing You All the Latest Gladiator Combat News,” last modified December 23, 2017, https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-writings/acta-diurna-telegraph-ancient-rome-bringing-you-all-latest-gladiator-021770

[8] “Acta Diurna.”

[9] “Acta Diurna.”

Bibliography

Aicher, Peter. 2000. Watering Ancient Rome. February 22. Accessed May 13, 2019. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/roman-aqueducts/.

Franz, Julia. 2017. Seawater in the pores? It’s what made Roman concrete great. July 25. Accessed May 13, 2019. https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-07-25/seawater-pores-it-s-what-made-roman-concrete-great.

Harper, Jim. n.d. Roman Concrete: The Volcanic Material That Erected the Roman Empire. Accessed May 12, 2019. https://www.historicmysteries.com/roman-concrete/.

Mingren, Wu. 2017. Acta Diurna: The Telegraph of Ancient Rome, Bringing You All the Latest Gladiator Combat News. December 23. Accessed May 11, 2019. https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-writings/acta-diurna-telegraph-ancient-rome-bringing-you-all-latest-gladiator-021770.

National Geographic Society. 2018. Roman Aqueducts. Sarah Appleton. July 6. Accessed May 9, 2019. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/roman-aqueducts/.

Concretes improvement to the speed in which reliable structures can be built, the aqueduct systems ability to quickly transport clean water, and the acta diurnas method of conveying important information to the general public, are why these artifacts are the most historically significant to the development of the civilization of Rome.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton