Throughout history, many powerful civilizations have left behind legacies, but none of them were as great as ancient Rome’s. A civilization’s system of government can make it or break it, but Rome’s government made it with a revolutionary idea. Roman engineering may not seem like much, but if one takes a step back one will realize the impact it had on the world. Roman government was even so impeccable, many countries use it as a model for their government. Also, Roman engineering inspired people to create buildings using some of its achievements. The most lasting legacies of ancient Rome are its exemplary engineering, many of which we still use today, and its republican government that many countries around the world still use. Rome’s revolutionary …show more content…
Arches were the foundation of all Roman engineering and were used in everything from buildings to aqueducts. The arch was made of three parts, the pier, a tall stone that supports the voussoir, which in turn supported the keystone. Instead of building small arches like the Etruscans, Romans built massive arches. The arch also made building buildings, stadiums, and aqueducts easier and cheaper because it used less material and was faster to build. The Roman arch was so successful we still use it to this day, in buildings like the capitol building and football stadiums. Romans’ impressive stadiums where they held gladiatorial battles and chariot races had a lasting impact on Rome and the world. Roman stadiums such as the colosseum had tunnels leading up to the shaded sloping seats where spectators watched the races and battles that used the amazing technology in the arena. In fact, Roman stadiums were so good that we still use many of the same elements in our football stadiums. Also, stadiums were made with Romans' early version of concrete. Romans’ concrete mainly consisted of sand, ash, rocks and water, that was left to harden. Romans were the first to use concrete. This allowed them to build far larger arches, stadiums, and aqueducts than ever before. Roman concrete was so advanced that even today, we use a similar mixture. Another unbelievable Roman invention was the aqueduct. An aqueduct was a covered pipe or channel that brought fresh water from long distances to all over the Roman empire from fresh springs in the mountains. This pollution-free water was distributed at public baths and fountains in Roman cities. The aqueduct made it so that all of Rome could get clean water easily because the water did not have to be moved by hand, it was purified by water treatment plants along the aqueducts,