Ancient Civilization
ROMAN
Presented by Group 3
ROME CIVILIZATION
The Roman Empire was perceived to be the strongest political and social entity in the
West. It was considered to be the cradle of politics and governance during that period.
Aside from their contributions to politics, a lot of discoveries and inventions still
relevant today can be attributed to the Roman Empire. The Roman civilization was one
of the most influential and enduring civilizations in human history. It originated in the
city of Rome in Italy and grew to encompass vast territories across Europe, Africa, and
Asia, reaching its peak around the 1st century AD. The Roman civilization was
characterized by its sophisticated legal and political systems, engineering and
architectural achievements, military prowess, and rich cultural heritage.
INVENTION
Aqueduct Road and Highway
Concrete
ROMAN AQUEDUCT
Aqueducts convey water from faraway springs and mountains into cities
and towns through gravity. The main purpose of an aqueduct is to transport
water to a city so that it can be used by the local population. Aqueducts
require a great deal of planning. They were made from a series of pipes,
tunnels, canals, and bridges. Gravity and the natural slope of the land
allowed aqueducts to channel water from a freshwater source such as a
lake and sping to a city. As water flowed into the cities, it was used for
drinking, irrigation, and supply hundreds of public fountains and bath
ROADS AND HIGHWAYS
Roman roads and highways played a pivotal role in the
rise of the Roman state, expanding all across the
Roman Republic and then the Roman Empire. In a
period of about 700 years, they built about 55, 000
miles of paved highways around the Mediterranean
basin across Europe a feat that ensured the fast and
efficient movement of goods, soldiers, and information
across the empire. These expertly engineered routes
were easy to navigate and the Romans were one of the
first to use road signs and mile markers
Concrete (hydraulic concrete or
opus caementicium)
They experiemented with various mixtures
of limes, water, and aggregate materials,
including volcanic ash (pozzolana) and
rubble, to create a durable and versatile
building materials. Roman concrete was
instrumental in the construction of vast
infrastructure projects such as aqueducts,
bridges, harbors, and roads. The use of
concrete enabled the Romans to build
structures of unprecedented scale and
complexity, facilitating the expansion and
INVENTION
Roman Numerals Bound Books Julian Calendar
ROMAN NUMERALS
Roman numerals are a number system that was
invented by the ancient Romans for the purpose of counting and
performing other day-to-day transactions. Roman numerals use just seven
letters, with the
quantity and order of these letters determining the
value of the final number. There are seven basic symbols: l, V, X, L, C, D
and M. The Romans devised
their own number system specifically to address the
need for a standard counting method that would meet their increasing
communication and trade concerns.
BOUND BOOKS
Known as a ‘codex’, the first bound books in
Rome were invented as a compact and portable
way of transporting information. Until then,
writings were typically carved into clay slabs or
written on scrolls, with the latter being up to 10
metres in length and needing to be unrolled to
be read. It was Julius Caesar who commissioned
the first bound book, which was a collection of
papyrus known as a codex.
JULIAN CALENDAR
The Romans were the first to invent a
calendar that consisted of 365 days, along
with a leap year. As well a lot of our months
are derived from the Roman month names,
with July and August being named after Julius
Caesar and Emperor Augustus. Julius Caesar
ordered a calendar consisting of twelve months
based on a solar year. This calendar
employed a cycle of three years of 365 days,
followed by a year of 366 days (leap year).
INVENTION
Surgery/Surgical Dental Filling Water Wheel
Instruments
SURGERY/ SURGICAL
TOOLS
Although the Romans never invented operations
in general, they did create, however, many
surgical tools and surgery, such as the c-section,
and even pioneered battlefield surgery. All of
these developments resulted in more sanitary and
safer operations, which helped to improve overall
citizen wellness.
In terms of surgical tools, the ancient Romans were ahead of
their time. They were able to create a variety of items such as
scalpels, forceps and clamps. They even had specialized tools
for procedures such as amputation and bone setting, and
many of the tools they used are still in use today that have
evolved and improved over the centuries.
DENTAL FILLINGS
The romans were the first to use dental filling and other
materials to repair teeth damaged by decay or injury. They
used various materials to fill cavities and repair teeth,
including gold, bronze, and even materials such as bone and
ivory. The Romans were also the first to use dental bridges,
which were used to replace missing teeth. They used gold
wire to hold false teeth in place
WATER WHEEL
Water wheels are ancient devices that use flowing or falling
water to generate power via paddles attached around a wheel.
The force of the water moves the paddles, causing the wheel to
rotate, which is then transmitted to machinery via the wheel
shaft. The first mention of a water wheel dates back to
approximately 4000 BCE. Vitruvius, an engineer, is credited
with designing and using a vertical water wheel during Roman
times.
• Water wheels were used to lift water from rivers or wells, supplying
villages with drinking water.
• They facilitated crop irrigation, enhancing agricultural productivity.
• Water wheels were initially used for grinding grains. They used the
power of falling water to drive a wheel to grind grains.
*Although water wheels have been largely replaced by turbines, their
historical significance remains.
*The hydraulic turbine which is based on water wheel principles, continues
to generate clean energy in modern times.
INVENTION
Ballista Armor Siege Tower
BALLISTA
Ancient missile launcher designed to hurl
javelins or heavy balls. Ballista’s were
powered by torsion derived from two thick
skeins of twisted cords through which were
thrust two separate arms joined at their ends
by the cord that propelled the missile.
ARMOR
The Romans perfected a relatively light, full torso
armour made of segmented plates. This segmented
armour provided good protection for vital areas, but
did not cover as much of the body as lorica hamata
or chainmail. The lorica segmentata provided better
protection, but the plate bands were expensive and
difficult to produce and difficult to repair in the field.
THE HELEPOLIS
The Helepolis was essentially a large tapered tower, with
each side about 130 ft (40 m) high, and 65 ft (20 m) wide that
was manually pushed into battle. It rested on eight wheels,
each 15 feet (5 m) high and also had casters, to allow lateral
movement as well as direct. The three exposed sides were
rendered fireproof with iron plates, and stories divided the
interior, connected by two broad flights of stairs, one for
ascent and one for descent. The machine weighed 160
short tons (150 t; 140 long tons), and required 3,400 men
working in relays to move it, 200 turning a large capstan
driving the wheels via a belt, and the rest pushing from
behind.
Thank
you
