Paragraph : Roman Civilization

Roman Civilization

Outstanding in the achievements of Roman civilization was the practical skill with which is united peoples of widely varying languages, customs, and religions into a political structure, which withstood many shocks for nearly a thousand years. In the first place, Rome recognized the value of granting citizenship to conquered peoples as a means of securing their interest and cooperation in the good government and prosperity of their province in the Empire. A Jew of Tarsus could take pride in being a Roman citizen without losing his pride in being a jew. Then, following the example of the Persian Empire, Rome recognized the importance of safe and easy communication between all parts of the Empire. The magnificent system of Roman roads and viaducts served a double purpose: they made possible the swift movement of troops to any part of the Empire where disturbance or danger threatened; they made commerce, postal traffic, and civilian travel sure, smooth, and swift; and they thus created conditions which were essential if capital and province were to play their part in relation to each other and remain prosperous and contented. Finally, the great fabric of Roman law, which had slowly developed to meet changing needs, embraced the whole of the Empire, so that a citizen in Palestine might appeal to the decision of the emperor and be sure of a hearing. The roads, the viaducts, the orderly Roman villas tucked away in some remote corner of Britain, the great framework of law, the very vocabulary of our daily speech, all survive as witnesses of what is meant by Roman civilization.