Ancient Rome was ahead of their time when it came to their culture. Unlike many other civilizations, the Ancient Romans were happy to incorporate other ideas or practices form other cultures they encountered. As long as it benefited or interested the Ancient Romans. Whatever the Ancient Romans did borrow from other cultures, Ancient Rome’s culture grew by conquering and establishing colonies that brought immense wealth and knowledge back to the heart of the empire. The Ancient Romans brought back many things from the cultures they defeated. Such as: Exotic foods, animals, religion, and art were just a few of the things brought back to enrich their abundant empire. The Ancient Romans wanted anything they might use to enhance their lives or show their importance and dominance to others.
Because Ancient Rome had such a strong and vast empire, it allowed them access to high quality goods that would otherwise be unavailable to them if it had not been for Ancient Rome’s dominating military practices. It should be noted that because ancient Rome’s military ventured to other exotic lands this allowed them to experience various cultures. This exposure increased the standard of living for citizens and supplied them with much material wealth. Additionally, that wealth become a symbol of success and self-importance for the wealthy Roman citizen. This is why much of Ancient Rome’s antiquities were found in the homes of wealthy individuals—not to mention monuments with elaborate statues and colorful paints.
An additional practice of the Ancient Romans was to borrow from other great cultures of their time such as the Greeks, Etruscans, and Egyptians. This also increased the Ancient Romans’ knowledge and diversity as they grew into a super power. The Greeks had some of the greatest academic minds and artists, the Etruscans excelled at engineering and metal working, and the Egyptians had amazing architectural achievements and flavorful foods. This is why we can see many Greek, Etruscan, and Egyptian cultural ideas and practices in the lives of the Ancient Romans. Furthermore, these respected cultures also influences their deities which was incorporated into the fabric of their society; along with clothing, jewelry, food, entertainment, and political views.
Today we still see the effects of Rome’s culture on the modern world. There are colosseums for entertainment, aqueducts to supply water to remote places, sewers to remove contaminated water, and bridges that are still used today. Practices and ideas from the Ancient Romans influence many of today’s cultures respectfully. We can see influence in government, science, art, history, military and so much more.
Click on an article below to learn about the Ancient Romans’ exotic and diverse culture.
- Architecture
- Culture: Eating Utensils and Dishes
- Culture: Meals in Ancient Rome
- Culture: Types of Ancient Roman Foods
- Culture: What did the Ancient Romans Drink?
- Culture: Vomiting After Eating
- Culture: Gladiator: Animals Were Also Part of Gladiatorial Games
- Culture: Gladiator: Female Gladiators also known as Gladiatrix
- Culture: Gladiator: Gladiators at Their Peak
- Culture: Gladiator: The Decline of Gladiators
- Culture: Gladiator: What was a Gladiator?
- Culture: Gladiator: Where did Gladiators Come From?
- Military
- Religion
