What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

The Roman State, either as a Republic or an Empire, existed for 1,000 years and encompassed a vast area spanning Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Their influence was so enormous that even though the Roman Empire ended 1,600 years ago, we can still feel their presence in our everyday lives, although most of the time we aren't usually aware of the fact. Everything from our architecture to our calendar, from our infrastructure to our spoken and written language, from our legal systems...
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The Roman State, either as a Republic or an Empire, existed for 1,000 years and encompassed a vast area spanning Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Their influence was so enormous that even though the Roman Empire ended 1,600 years ago, we can still feel their presence in our everyday lives, although most of the time we aren't usually aware of the fact. Everything from our architecture to our calendar, from our infrastructure to our spoken and written language, from our legal systems to many of the little traditions we take for granted such as birthday cakes, wedding rings or Christmas celebrations - all can trace their roots back through the centuries to the days of Augustus and Cicero and Caesar. And although we may consider ourselves 100% American, British, Irish, French, Australian, Italian or whatever, you'll be surprised at the number of ways in which we're also all more than a little bit Roman!Written in an accessible, light-hearted style, What Have The Romans Ever Done Done Us? is perfectly balanced to both entertain and inform. So let's travel back to the time of the ancients, and explore how we can still sense their spirits in our modern world...