Article 6: What's so 'ancient' about Rome?

There are many things that modern civilization has gotten from the Ancient Romans including aqueducts, streets, a political and legal system, our calendar, and a census of the population for taxation. All of these are still used today in modern society.

An aqueduct is a conduit to carry water over a river or valley, or a source of water. These are still present today, except they have been changed to be more advanced. There were a total of eleven aqueducts in the city or around Rome. This city was way ahead of its time. These aqueducts catered to the public so extravagantly that some of the aqueducts led to public restrooms. The restrooms were not only a sign of the Romans’ advancement, but also a sign that they cared about hygiene. Emperor Vespasian charged fines for using the restrooms, showing how frequently they were used and that the whole city benefitted from them, not only in the form of convenience. Most civilization during the Roman time period did not having toilets, exemplifying the technologic advancement held by the Romans.

The famous line of “All roads lead to Rome” shows just how far the roads of Rome reached. Seven major roads led out of Rome to various areas. The road networks began when Appius Claudius passed it through the senate with much difficulty. At first, the roads were created an easier way to move the troops to a new territory. After awhile, it was simply for convenience. All of the streets represented the dominance of the Romans throughout Europe and to remind everyone of their power.
The political and legal systems of Rome worked so well that the United States adapted a government very similar to the one that they used. The process of determining innocence from guilt in the court of law has also been changed moderately from the time of the Romans. The Romans had the Twelve Tables which were twelve topics under which article were written about the topics regarding law. Instead of the Twelve Tables, the United States has The Constitution. Another similarity is the senate in Rome. The United States even has the same name. When the founders of America were deciding on what form of government to use, they saw that Rome was very successful using a Republic form.
The calendar was made by the Romans. Some of the months are named after emperors including Julius, July, and Augustus, August. The fact that we are still using the calendar that the ancient Romans made shows just how intelligent they were. They created a standard for time that has yet to show any flaws. This is a remarkable feat that is incredibly difficult to do.
Having a census may seem like a minor thing to do, but the Romans made a census to collect more taxes. While countries probably do not have a census for the same reason, it is still important to note that we are doing the same thing that the ancient Romans did. This shows that the Romans were doing something important enough that we are still doing it today.
All of the things mentioned above are things that Romans created or made major advancements in. Although there are many other things that the Romans made, most of these are things that have impacted the way we live today. Things that the Romans did thousands of years ago, affect the kind of lifestyle that people all over the world live.

Citations

"Roman Aqueducts." Truly Rome Apartments in Rome. Web. 06 Mar. 2010. .

"Romans Road." Truly Rome Apartments in Rome. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. .