[History] Roman Achievements

[Hader]

Author: Hader
Original Thread: Roman Achievements

Roman Achievements

Roman Achievemants Essay

Many civilizations in the past have made great achievements in many different fields. These fields include arts, architecture, government and sciences plus other various ones. The ancient peoples that advanced in these fields made some of the greatest achievements ever. Each civilization contributed significant works and ideas to future people and civilizations. Some of these people created forms of writing and different ways to write them or invented practical devices for everyday use. Out of all of these great civilizations, the Roman Empire was by far the best of the best. The Romans created an empire and maintained it for hundreds of years and during this time they had many achievements in just as many fields as other people. They had the time, the technology and the brains to create many things that made them dominate every aspect of life. Their domination set them apart from other civilizations like the Greeks or Egyptians. Just what did the Romans do to set them apart from other civilizations? The Romans made outstanding achievements in architecture, government and created a supreme army, all of which were way ahead of their time.

The Romans created a form of government that was never seen before in the ancient world. It was known as the republic. However, Rome didn’t start out as a Republic. There is a tale of the founding of Rome: two brothers, Romulus and Remus, were cast away by their mother into the Tiber river (Joe). They were rescued by a she-wolf who raised them. When they were older and left, they decided to found a city where the wolf rescued them. The city would become Rome. However, the brothers couldn’t decide who would be king. So Romulus killed Remus and became king (Joe). As Rome grew, it came under the control of the Etruscans. One Etruscan king, Servius, did one thing that would help establish the Roman Republic. He ordered a census to be taken. This census helped the Romans establish their own government, and they chose one run by the people. Government would be a public affair, a res publica (Answers.com)- a republic. The people would elect officials to the senate, and the senate would run Rome. To command Rome’s armies, the senate would elect two consuls, who ruled for no longer than one year to ensure they didn’t gain too much power (McGill). In a time of war, they elected a dictator who held power over all of the people and the armies. This new system of the republic would keep anybody from gaining too much power and lead Rome to victory over her rivals and neighbors. The system was so effective that it would later be incorporated into the government of the United States.

The Romans were also masters of engineering, which is the application of mathematics and sciences to make structures and machines for human use (Ellis and Esler 138). The Romans did use Greek styles in their architecture, but were also influenced by the Etruscans who gave them the arch and the dome. The Romans used their knowledge to make astounding structures. In their world some building materials were hard to come by, like marble. The Romans were able to pass this obstacle when they invented concrete, which was cheap, inexpensive and effective. They used concrete in many of their structures. One of the structures made with concrete was the Pantheon, a large temple dedicated to all of the Roman gods. The Pantheon used the innovative design known as the dome. This strong design has helped the Pantheon stand to this very day. Another one of the great Roman architectural achievements are the aqueducts. These were the first “pipelines” that carried fresh running water into Rome for use in baths, sinks and fountains. The genius behind the aqueduct was it’s simple yet efficient design. The aqueducts incorporated the arch into their design, allowing the gentle slope of the aqueduct to remain as it was whenever rough terrain was encountered (InfoRoma). Mountain springs poured water into the aqueduct and it ran down the gentle slope into the city, supplying fresh water for many uses (InfoRoma). Never before had anyone had the luxury of running water, and it would be another thousand years or so before people had it again. The Romans are also famous for the Coliseum, a large arena where gladiators fought to the death for the viewing pleasure of the people of Rome. It was the largest building the Romans ever built. It could hold more spectators than many modern football stadiums and was more than one hundred sixty feet high (Interactive Technologies). It was one of the architectural marvels of the ancient world and is still today. The Romans excelled in architecture, creating structures beyond what anyone thought was possible. However it wasn’t architecture that made the Romans great- it was their army.

The Roman army was the backbone of the Roman Empire. The army conquered lands for Rome and kept peace and order in her provinces. The army was comprised of the legion, who were some of the best trained troops in the world. They were drilled in intense conditions and trained by strict commanders. They were taught teamwork and discipline, along with military tactics to ensure victory and they were armed with the best weapons and armor available. Their teamwork was shown through their perfection of the testudo (meaning tortoise) formation in which the soldiers overlapped their shields to create a protective barrier against archer fire. This allowed them to march unarmed into melee combat. Each soldier also carried a spear called the plum, or pila for plural. The legionaries would hurl this spear at the enemy before they charged, making their adversaries confused and panicked. Each unit of a legion, called a century, was commanded by an elite warrior called a centurion (Brozyna). These men were experience soldiers who knew how to command troops very well. It was this effective combination of superior training, advanced weaponry and superb leadership that made the Roman legions invincible. However, the Romans could not rely on the legions alone to conquer new lands and defend their territory. The Romans mastered engineering siege engines such as onagers (A.K.A catapults), ballistae and scorpions. The onagers were effective at destroying wall defenses around a settlement and were effective against massive enemy troop formations. The ballistae and scorpions were smaller siege engines that fired large iron bolts (looked like giant arrows) at the enemy. These could impale several men and surely struck fear into the enemies hearts. With the siege engines to clear a path, the Roman legions had an easier time in battle. It was the Roman army that created the Roman Empire, and without them, there would have never been a Roman Empire.

The Roman Empire was the greatest empire the world has seen because of their outstanding achievements in government, architecture and supreme army. This is what set them apart from other civilizations like the Greeks or Egyptians. They had the time, technology and brains to make these achievements, assisting them in creating a great civilization and empire. The Romans created things and ideas that we still use today, including government, science, discipline and architecture. Without the Romans, where in the world would we be today? Not where we are now, that’s for sure. Rome’s achievements shaped our modern world.