Roman Inventions That Shaped Modern World

Dec 14, 2023, 14:49 IST

C Krishnasai

Roman Numerals

Roman numerals are still used in the number system. I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, represent 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 respectively.

Newspaper

Not exactly a newspaper, Romans had something similar. Acta Diurna or ‘daily acts' contained news of current affairs on wax slabs. It originated as early as 131 BC.

Formalised Sanitation

Romans were very knowledgeable when it came to civil engineering. Their sewage and sanitary plumbing systems was the highlight of their engineering excellence.

Romans' Love For Arches

While Romans weren’t the ones who invented the arch, they did develop the architectural arch to allow them to build bridges and large buildings.

The Hypocaust

The Hypocaust system was an early underfloor heating that worked similarly to modern-day central or radiant floor heating.    

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