The Impressive Achievements and Accomplishments of Ancient Rome

The Roman Empire was an amazing and powerful civilization. It made huge technological, political, and religious innovations, and has had a huge impact on western civilization today. Rome sparked democracy, and created a powerful and skillful military. They also spread Christianity, and created myths people are still interested in today. Rome also made technological innovations that we still use, and built things to perfection. They created amazing and beautiful architecture, and used construction to create incredibly useful inventions and adaptations. Rome had a large impact on civilizations around it through trade and technology, and they conquered many, becoming an ancient superpower.

Rome created many technological wonders, and were amazing at adapting ideas from other civilizations. Their architecture was to a standard that could not be achieved today, and they built amazing and helpful structures. One of Rome’s biggest feats was their aqueducts, which were engineered to perfection. These aqueducts transported tons of fresh water daily from mountain springs, using gravity to move the water, and were tilted slightly downward. These aqueducts were mostly underground, and the above ground sections used arches as support. These arches were another huge part of Roman architecture, and the Romans built them into many of their buildings. They were used in bridges, temples, houses, and many other forms of construction, and were very technologically exact. Along with aqueducts and arches, the Romans had an amazing road system, which went all over Rome, and was used for the military and trade. These roads remained intact even today because of how solidly they were built, and in some places in Europe they are still used. The Romans also made other, smaller inventions and innovations, though they were not as common. Between their aqueducts, arches, and roads, their civilization was one of the most technologically advanced ancient civilizations.

The Roman Empire was very influential with their religion, though they only let people believe what they them to. Rome’s religion was polytheistic, which means they could believe in multiple gods. They adapted many gods from Greece, and also had some of their own. They had gods that controlled natural happenings, such as the weather and the sunrise, and also had gods that represented attributes such as maternity or youth. For example, Zeus controlled the weather, and was the king of the gods. One of the main reasons these gods were created were to explain what the Romans did not understand, so it helped them to have gods that controlled what happened to them. They built temples to worship these gods, and had priests that read omens and performed rituals. their beliefs in multiple gods were very important, so they tried to uphold them as much as possible. Later in the Empire, despite their strong beliefs, Christianity started emerging. At first it was thought of as a sect of Judaism, and there was not much concern about it. As Christianity grew, the Empire put up more resistance, and killed Christians for their religion. Eventually, Christianity grew large enough to overshadow Roman religion, and many believed in it. This has affected society today, as Christianity is now a huge religion in many countries.

Another large part of the Roman Empire was their military. Their military was a huge part in the development of their empire, and made it as huge as it was. The military’s main purpose was to expand their domain and protect their existing borders, instead of fighting wars inside of Rome. Their training was mostly in teamwork, as the army moved in formations, and it was important to move in tandem. At first, enrolling in the military was an expected duty of civilians, though eventually it became more specialized and salaried. The military was sponsored by the government, who collected taxes to get the money. It accounted for half of the government's expenditures, and was very expensive. The military mass produced weapons and armour out of bronze and iron so they would be cheaper, and created artillery such as catapults and siege towers. Upholding their weaponry and paying the members of the military became more and more expensive, and by the end of the empire, the military became too expensive, and became weaker. This and other factors contributed to the downfall of the empire.

One other huge aspect of Rome was their economy, which was mostly trade. The Roman economy was based mostly on agriculture and trade, and was an Agrarian economy. Mining was also a large part of the Roman economy. Their main exports were grain, olives, grapes, and precious and non precious stones. The rich imported silk, cotton, spices, and other delicacies from other countries, and many of these goods were moved along the roads they had built. These roads went almost everywhere in Europe, and many goods could be transported along them. They also shipped goods across the ocean, despite the threats of pirates, bad weather, and incorrect navigation. The empire’s sea lanes provided access to all parts of the Mediterranean, and the road went many places on land, so the Romans could ship goods many places. Romans prospered from imports greatly, and it made them a much more powerful and wealthy civilization.

Government in Rome started as a primitive form of democracy, and ended in a monarchy. At the beginning of the empire, the government was ruled by two consuls, who had to agree before they made any decisions. There were also magistrates, who kept order, created laws, and managed the finances of Rome. Another part of the government were the tribunes, whose jobs were to make sure that the people were treated fairly. The last part of the government was the Senate, which was a group of people that discussed important government issues. The Senate did not have much real power, though had an impact as an advisor. The majority of these positions were elected, and the Romans believed that the people should have power. Sadly, most of these government positions were held by the elite, high class, and wealthy, and poorer people did not have a big say. Sadly, as the borders of Rome expanded, an emperor emerged. The popular assemblies disappeared, and the senate became more ceremonial. Because of the emperor, the government became a monarchy instead of a democracy. Even though this government was not perfect, it created the beginnings of our modern day government.

Though Ancient Rome was a huge superpower, Greece was also incredibly important. The Romans took and adapted many innovations and technology from the Greek, and Greece also contributed to other ancient and current societies. Greece made huge advancements in philosophy, and provided a starting block for the important questions of western civilization. They found correct scientific explanations for the world, and delved into social issues, raising questions about social order and the mistreatment of the poor and slaves. The Greeks also made improvements in mathematics and found the Pythagorean theorem, which is still widely used in math today. In the more technological field, the Greeks created devices which let them move huge pieces of marble and other stone using the winch, block and tackle, and crane, and used water mills to create energy instead of using human power. They also created mechanical devices such as automaton and the portable sundial, utilizing small-scale production. Because of their innovation, technology, and philosophical thought, Greece was a very important civilization, and definitely puts Rome to the test.

As you can see, the Roman Empire was an incredibly important empire. They made huge advancements technologically, religiously, and politically. Though other civilizations were also very important, the Roman Empire was incredibly innovative and greatly influenced Western Civilization today. They affected our government by sparking democracy, and spread Christianity to many people. Rome also created amazing architecture, aqueducts, roads, and had a powerful and sharp military. It was one of the biggest factors in the development of many European countries, and western civilization in general.