Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a civilization that existed in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East between 753 BC and its downfall in AD 476. For several centuries, the Romans controlled the whole of Western Europe, as well as the entire area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and some of the area surrounding the Black Sea.

Legacy

Cultural and Linguistic Legacy

One of the most enduring legacies of Rome is linguistic: Romance languages that evolved from

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Latin spoken in the Roman Empire are now spoken widely in Europe and Latin America, such as Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Romanian, amongst others. Although English is a Germanic language, many English words derive from Latin roots, either directly or through intermediary successor languages such as French. Latin remains the official language of Vatican City and is studied and understood by scholars around the world. However, fluent speech in Latin is very rare in present day. This is mainly due to the differences between Latin's reliance upon inflection of words and modern Romance languages' reliance upon syntax, in addition to lack of use.

Related Topics:
Latin - Roman Empire - Europe - Latin America - Portuguese - Spanish - French - Italian - Romanian - English - Germanic language - Vatican City - Inflection - Syntax

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Successor States

After the fall of the city of Rome and the Western Empire the state continued its existence as the Byzantine Empire, which is conventionally treated as a separate entity in history books. Also the Holy Roman Empire and Russia have claimed the "Roman" legacy after the fall of Constantinople (See Third Rome).

Related Topics:
Byzantine Empire - Holy Roman Empire - Russia - Fall of Constantinople - Third Rome

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