Accomplishments That Helped Roman Culture Spread During the Time of the Roman Empire

The Roman Empire's many accomplishments helped its culture spread great distances. Roman influence helped shape the development of Western civilization and the world at large. Vast territorial holdings and advancements in governmental structure and technology enabled the Roman Empire to have a substantial impact on the areas and people that it came into contact with.

The Roman military's vast power, frequent travel and expansion were key components in the spread of the empire's culture to new peoples and territories. The early stages of the Roman republic saw rapid expansion and repeated military conquests. The empire's victories in the first two Punic Wars against Carthage enabled it to claim large portions of Spain, Sicily and the western Mediterranean. Roman victory in the third Carthage war spread its culture and territorial holdings into northern Africa. The dissemination of Roman culture to the east was partially catalyzed through victory in the Macedonian Wars.

The prolonged peace known as the Pax Romana helped Roman culture flourish and quickened its adoption in the republic's acquired territories and beyond. The empire's rapid military conquests enabled it to grow quickly in size; however, Roman culture would not have grown as quickly without the era of prosperity ushered in by Emperor Augustus. Rome's first emperor reformed the laws and encouraged advancements in art and culture, which led to idealization of the government and empire.

The construction of roads, buildings and public works projects allowed the Roman culture to spread rapidly. The Roman Empire created sewage and water systems that greatly improved quality of life and made Roman rule a more desirable circumstance for conquered territories. Roads leading in and out of Roman territories allowed those pioneering the Roman culture to travel distances that would have previously been prohibitively vast. The construction of road systems also invited foreign travelers and merchants in, and these people and parties spread elements of Roman culture after leaving the empire's territories.

The Latin language and the Roman alphabet played key roles in the spread of the Roman culture. Roman territorial expansions meant that the empire's chosen language and alphabet spread in tandem. The prominence of the Roman written language facilitated the spread of the republic's culture to territories outside of its bounds and encouraged conquered and governed peoples to adopt elements of the culture. The Latin language and Roman alphabet survived long after the empire itself collapsed and continued the spread of the associated culture.