Download The Legacy of Greco-Roman Civilization

THE LEGACY OF GRECO-ROMAN
CIVILIZATION
1. LANGUAGE
a. Latin (the language of Romans) remained
the language of learning in the West long
after the fall of Rome.
2. ENGINEERING
a. Romans were master builders. Romans used
arches, the dome, and concrete to build many
spectacular structures and many functional
structures like bridges and aqueducts. Because
of their practicality, Roman architectural forms
are still popular today.
3. THE LAW
a. Rome’s most lasting and widespread
contribution was the law. Romans believed that
laws should be fair and apply equally to all
people, rich and poor. Some of the most
important principles of Roman law were
i.
All persons had the right to equal treatment
under the law.
ii. A person was considered innocent until proven
guilty.
iii. The burden of proof rested with the
accuser rather than the accused.
iv. A person should be punished only for
actions, not thoughts.
v. Any law that seemed unreasonable or
grossly unfair could be set aside.
4, ART AND LITERATURE
a. Roman sculptors used bas-relief
(images project from the
background in low relief) to tell
stories and to represent crowds of
people, soldiers in battle, and
landscapes.
b. Roman artists also were
particularly skilled in creating
mosaics. Mosaics were pictures or
designs made by setting small
pieces of stone, glass, or tile onto
a surface.
c. Romans excelled at the art of
painting. One type of Roman
paintings were frescoes, large,
bright murals painted directly
on walls.
d. The poet Virgil spent ten years
writing the most famous work
of Latin literature, the Aeneid,
the epic of the legendary
Aeneas written in praise of
Rome and Roman virtues (like
the Greek epics of Homer).
• The mixing of elements of Greek,
Hellenistic, and Roman culture
produced a new culture, called GrecoRoman culture. This is also often
called classical civilization.