Western civilization, as it is known today, is a combination of several ideologies, culture, and practices that have been passed down over the course of human life. One of the most influential cultures on Western civilization has been the ancient Roman culture. The traditions and customs of the ancient Romans left deep and long-lasting marks on Western civilization that is still witnessed today. The influence of ancient Roman culture on Western civilization politics, language, and sports are examined below.
Politics
The Founding Fathers of the United States were significantly inspired by the Romans and Greeks on how to structure the new government. The most significant impact from the Romans was the principle of republicanism. The Romans were ruled by a republican form of government which, like the system today, allowed the citizens to elect leaders who in turn represented their needs. The Romans' division of the judicial, executive and legislative branches is very similar to the ones present today. As a matter of fact, the idea of the Senate came from the ancient Romans. The Roman senate held significant influence even after Rome became an empire. From the attitudes of the founding fathers, the Senate was meant to accommodate more mature attitudes. In fact, the base word of the word senate. Senex directly translates to ‘old man.' The Roman Senate also had an upper class and a lower class just like the one used today.
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The Roman process of lawmaking had a significant impact on modern democratic political systems. Lawmaking during the Roman Republican era was a bicameral activity. First, the assembly of citizens or comitia would pass the legislation which was then authorized by the Senate or upper class. The bill was passed in the name of the senate and people of Rome (Habinek, 2013). In many modern democratic governments, all laws must pass through two legislative bodies before they become law. The idea of veto came from the ancient Romans. Roman officials would object to the ruling of their colleagues by shouting ‘veto’ meaning ‘I reject.’
Language
The Romans brought about the spread of the English language which became the foundation of several Western languages like English. When the Romans conquered England, the colony was forced to become a Latin-speaking country. Latin was the language of the empire for a long time, and it is no wonder it lived on. It became a language that was widely understood and used by educated people all over Europe. Today's Spoken, and written English comprises roughly 75%-90% of native words (Baugh & Cable, 2013). A large number of these borrowed words came directly from Latin. The list of words borrowed from Latin can be endless. Some commonly used Latin loanwords in English include complex, agile, pepper, sickle, legal and many more. Similarities can be observed in some English and Latin names. For instance, the word “Father” in English and “Pater” Latin (Baugh & Cable, 2013).
. Some Latin sayings are still widely used today. For example, “Veni Vidi Vici” which means “I came I saw I conquered. Scientists used the Latin language to name insects, plants, animals, and bacteria. These scientific names are still present today, and many of them do not have any other names in English. The English alphabet also has Roman origins. Although the Latin language borrowed its alphabet from the Greeks, the Romans polished up the shape of most of the letters to what they are today. However, a few letters like J and U were added later. Considering the vast similarities between the English and Latin language, it not surprising that educators in modern society sometimes teach Latin in an effort to help students comprehend the English language better.
Sports
The ancient Romans also set the pace for Western civilization sports. Many of the sports activities present today greatly resemble Roman sporting activities. Perhaps the only differences might lie in the rules that these sports apply. One of the most popular sports in Rome was Pugilatus or as it is known today, Boxing. Puglilatus was used as a means for the participants to display their physical strength and endurance. One difference between this sporting activity and modern boxing is that the players were allowed to hit their opponent in any part of the body, including the genitals and back. Also, the participants were not subjected to any time limitation, and the game would only end when the players were exhausted, or one of the fighters gave up.
Gladiator fighting was one of the bloodiest Roman sports. Nevertheless, it became the basis for many sporting activities today, for instance, the player’s attire (Futrell, 2006). Gladiator fighting was a rough sport that demanded the players to wear armor to protect themselves from the from the opponent. Players in many sporting activities have to wear protective gear. For example, in American football players must wear protective clothing to lessen the impact of the opposition's tackle. Another similarity is the use of a referee. A referee was always present in the gladiatorial games to officiate the match. The senior referee called the summa rudis often had an assistant to help him (Futrell, 2006). They performed almost the same functions as today's referees. They would step in whenever the games got out of hand and ensured the rules were obeyed. Indoor games like Chess have also lived on from the Roman culture. Roman chess or Ludus latrunculorum is not exactly like modern day chess but resembles it in a big way.
References
Baugh, A. C., & Cable, T. (2013). A history of the English language . London: Routledge.
Futrell, A. (2006). The Roman games: A sourcebook . Oxford: Blackwell.
Habinek, T. (2013). Reconstructing the Roman Republic: An Ancient Political Culture
and Modern Research. The European Legacy, 18, 6, 768-770.
