The Romans built an extensive network of over 310,000 km of roads, known as the via Appia or Appian Way, which connected their territories and allowed for the spread of Latin. They also developed a codified legal system called the Twelve Tables in 450 BCE, which established basic legal procedures and punishments. Latin became the dominant language of the Roman government, legal system, education, and Catholic Church for over a thousand years and still influences modern languages like English through words and phrases used in medicine and law.

1. Rome
Stuff You Need to Know
The Legions
The Roads
The Law
The Latin

2. First paved road called via Appia
(Appian Way)
over 310 000 km of road built
All Roads Lead to Rome

3. Roman Law: The Twelve Tables
 Rome was among few societies that
developed laws that were codified (written
down) and fully analyzed by jurists
 In response to pressure by the ordinary
people to break the monopolization of the law
by the patricians and upper class
 Twelve Tables: written 450 BCE in Latin
 Most laws related to civil matters
 Formed basic legal procedures and
appropriate punishments
 Roman law still distinguished between rich
and poor, freemen and slaves

4. Latin
 For the next thousand years
 Latin was the language of
Roman government and legal system
 became the international language
of the Christian church
 education and scholarship
Latin still to this
day has a strong
presence in
language of
medicine and law
e.g. Canis lupus
familiaris
•Romans spoke Latin,
which spread throughout
the Mediterranean
Greek was the only
other language to survive

5. Examples of Latin
 Veni, vidi, vici
 “I came, I saw, I
conquered”
 Alter ego
 “another I”
 Bona fide
 “in good faith”
 Et cetera
 “and other”
 Cerebrum
 “brain”
 Exit or exeunt
 “He / she / they go out”
 Habeas corpus
 “you must have the fact /
body of the crime”
 Via
 “by way of”
 Vice versa
 “the other way around”
 Et al.
 “and others”