What have the Romans given us?

What have the Romans given us?

Is there any evidence that even though the Roman Empire declined its influence continued?

Historians call the influence a society has on societies that come after it a legacy.

Roman numerals

Roads

In Britain several of the main roads follow the old lines of Roman Roads.

The image shows the A1 (London to Scotland)

Roads

This image shows the view from the A1. Beautiful, isn't it?

Places and names

Some important cities were founded by the Romans.

Some places take their names from their Roman name, e.g. London from Londinium.

Calendar

The calendar we use today, with 365 days in a year, is based on the one developed by Julius Caesar.

All the months of the year take their names from the Roman months.

Some days of the week are named after Roman gods.

Fill in the Blank

Which month is named after Julius Caesar?

Fill in the Blank

Which month is named after Mars, the god of war?

Fill in the Blank

Which day of the week is named after Saturn, the Roman god of farmers?

Literature

Many stories, plays, poems and histories have survived from the Roman period.

Probably the most famous is the Aeneid, written by Virgil.

Language

• Latin is still spoken in some sections of the Roman Catholic Church. Until ten years ago all services were said in Latin.

• Latin has influenced the way European languages such as French, Italian and English have developed.

• We have borrowed many words from Latin to use in English, e.g. versus, et cetera, exit

Language

All British coins have a Latin inscription.

The letters stand for the Latin words Dei Gratia Regina Fidei Defensor, which means 'By the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith'.

Multiple Choice

Do you think Spanish has developed from Latin?

• Yes

• No

Religion

Christianity was adopted as the official religion of the Roman Empire in AD 337 and remains the dominant religion in most countries which once formed part of the Empire.

Health and medicine

Roman ideas about public health, surgery and patient care were picked up by Islamic doctors and later by European doctors.

Buildings

Some Roman buildings, like the Roman baths in Bath, are still standing today, which shows how well built they were.

Roman styles have been copied in many places at different times, e.g. public buildings such as museums, town halls and even schools built in Britain in the nineteenth century.

Fill in the Blank

What is the name of this famous Roman building?

Law

Aspects of British law - the way the courts are run, names or officials and the way cases recorded - have all developed from Roman law.

Science

In Science, plants, animals, insects and even mushrooms are known officially by Latin names.

Multiple Choice

What is the scientific name for cat?

• Felis catus

• Latin cat

• Kitten

• Gatus

Multiple Choice

What's the scientific name for dog?

• Can dog

• Canis doggy

• Canis familiaris

• Canis family