The great city of Rome fell because of multiple complications. For one, the government was becoming corrupt. The leaders were constantly being changed because of assassinations. Not only this, but this government was overtaxing the citizens of the city. Poverty and famine spread like wildfire throughout the city. The final straw on the camels back were the attacks on Rome from neighboring tribes, cutting off trade to the city and weakening their defenses. Within a matter of weeks, Rome was a ghost empire.
How Did Roman Culture Influence Western Civilization?
Roman culture greatly influences modern society with it's art, law, literature, and architecture. You can see these influences almost anywhere you look. Roman art can be found in most bathrooms- mosaic designs with tiles, along with murals and paintings inspired by the gifted artist Michael Angelo. You can spot examples of Roman influence in law, too- our way of justice and voting, being a democracy. Roman literature impacts us beyond a doubt. Many English words have Latin roots and prefixes, such as the root urbs, meaning 'city'. From this we have fashioned words such as 'suburbs' (which also uses the Latin prefix of sub, meaning 'inferior to'- suburb is like a town, which is small than, or 'inferior to' a city) and 'urban' (meaning 'city-like'). We also use Roman numerals for important documents and fancy clocks. Even the United State's motto is written in Latin- E pluribus unum. 'Out of many, one.' Lastly, Roman influence leaks into our modern architecture. You can see it anywhere- the columns of our town halls and important buildings in D.C., the St. Louis Arch, the golden dome mounted on the State House in Boston, Massachusetts, the beautiful cathedrals that draw tourists from around the world. Rome is everywhere.
- JAF
