How did Latin outlive the Roman Empire? Rome’s fascinating history from a small city-state to the vast Roman Empire covering Europe and parts of Africa and Asia is amazing. From its 1,000 year history, the Roman Empire has contributed many magnificent achievements that are still appreciated today. For example, architectural wonders like the aqueducts and the Coliseum can still be seen today and ideas of legal rights for the protection of property and individual rights exist in our legal system. The biggest legacy the Roman’s left was the Latin language. The Roman empire included many diverse people, religions and political groups. To accomplish a stable ruling, the Roman Empire used rules and used the Latin language to unify its Empire. The ancient Roman Empire crumbled centuries ago but left a Latin language legacy that exists today. …show more content…
Indo-European immigrants developed into a community and Rome was founded in 753 BC. Over the next century, the language was influenced by the Indo-European Etruscans. As the Roman Empire took power, classical Latin became the formal language of business and government and was used to unify the vast empire. The language spread by conquest from Mesopotamia, down to Northern Africa, over to Spain and Portugal and up to Great Britain. The Roman Empire reached its peak in 117 AD under Augustus Caesar and he took a special interest in developing the language. With the rise of Christianity and the Pax Romana, Latin influence grew. Classical Latin was used to write historical records and literature like epics and oratories. As the language spread over bigger areas, regional differences in pronunciation was