Rome's greatest legacies to later generations were law, architecture, and the Latin language. These became foundations of modern Western civilization.
Roman Culture and Technology
- Architecture: the Colosseum, the Pantheon, aqueducts, and Roman roads
- Latin: the source of modern French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese
- Roman law: development of the law of nations → the foundation of modern European law
- Calendar: the Julian calendar (the basis of the modern Gregorian calendar)
Development of Roman Law
Early period: civil law (applied only to Roman citizens) → law of nations (applied to everyone throughout the empire)
Emperor Justinian of the Eastern Roman Empire compiled the "Corpus Juris Civilis" in the 6th century. It became the foundation of modern European civil and criminal law and an origin of the concept of "equality under the law."
Early period: civil law (applied only to Roman citizens) → law of nations (applied to everyone throughout the empire)
Emperor Justinian of the Eastern Roman Empire compiled the "Corpus Juris Civilis" in the 6th century. It became the foundation of modern European civil and criminal law and an origin of the concept of "equality under the law."
Key Points
- Roman legacies: law, architecture, Latin, and the calendar
- The law of nations → an origin of modern law
- Latin → the basis of the Romance languages (French, Spanish, and Italian)
Practice Questions
- What was the law applied to all Roman citizens (and later to all inhabitants of the provinces) called?
- Who was the Eastern Roman emperor who compiled the "Corpus Juris Civilis"?
- Name three modern European languages descended from Latin.
Answers
- The law of nations
- Emperor Justinian
- French, Spanish, and Italian (Portuguese and Romanian are also acceptable)