Download Roman Contributions (Continued) Directions: Read about each

Factors that led to growth:
**1. Engineering
2. Empire Building
3. Trade
Roman Contributions (Continued)
Directions: Read about each contribution and fill
out the chart on the back of the page
Latin Language
Latin was the spoken and written language of
Rome. Many forms of literature – poetry,
histories, fictional stories, and dramas – were
written in Latin. Latin could be understood
throughout the Empire, and it became the
language of the Roman Catholic Church.
Latin greatly influenced the vocabulary of many
languages. The English word “justice,” for instance, comes from
the Latin word “jus”, meaning law. This same Latin root is also found in the French word
“justice,” the Italian word “giustizia,” and the Spanish word “justicia.”
Domes The Romans improved on design of arches by inventing the dome, a roof formed by
round arches. Once Romans learned to use concrete,
they were able to mold the domes on the ground. After
the walls and columns of a building were constructed,
the dome was hoisted into position on the top of the
building. This achievement allowed architects to build
enormous structure using domes.
One giant dome built in Rome was the Pantheon
(pictured on the left). The Pantheon the largest dome
ever built in the world up to that time - 43 meters in
diameter (142 feet), and 43 meters from the floor to the
top of the dome. To hold up this dome, the walls had
to be made of brick and concrete six meters thick about twenty feet! The coffering in the dome lightens it
a little, but it's still very heavy. No dome anything like
this size was built anywhere in the world until the Duomo of Florence in the 1400's, more than a
thousand years later.
Republic
Romans declared they would never again be ruled by a king after their experience under the Etruscans,
instead they chose to create a Republic – a government in which power rests with citizens who have the
right to vote for their leaders. In Rome, citizenship with voting rights was granted only to free-born
male citizens. The most powerful branch of the Republic was the Senate, whose 300 members where
chosen by the upper class (Patricians) of Roman society. The senate, who passed Roman laws,
exercised great influence over both foreign policy and policies inside of Rome.
Twelve Tables
About 50 years after the Roman Republic was formed, the leaders
of the Republic wrote down many of the old laws, to make sure
everyone understood them. History refers to this group of laws as
"The Twelve Tables" because the written laws were organized into
12 sections.
These laws talked about property, crime, family, theft, marriage
and inheritance. It does not really matter what they said, although
the laws did try to be fair. What matters is that these laws were written down. They were engraved on
tablets of metal and put on display at the Forum in the city of Rome, so that everyone could see them.
Each law applied to every Roman citizen, be he rich or poor.
Achievement
Latin
Domes
Republic
Twelve Tables
What Made it Special?
How does this
Contribution Influence
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