Ancient Roman Inventions

The ancient Roman civilization which came into power some 2000 years ago gave rise to some of the more intriguing inventions that have taken place throughout the centuries. The fact of the matter is, many of these ancient Roman inventions are still used today in some way or another. Many of these inventions were conceived as a result of the warfare that Rome was always involved in but there were also some that benefited those who were of the civilian class as well. Here are some of the ancient Roman inventions, some of which you may be surprised were conceived so many years ago.

One of the building materials that is used in almost all construction is concrete. Although the formula may have changed over time, one of the ancient Roman inventions was a type of concrete that had an amazingly long lifespan. As a matter of fact, some of the baths that were made using this concrete have lasted for thousands of years and are still in existence today. Although similar types of materials have been used for thousands of years before the Roman Empire came into power, the formula that was used by the Romans is very similar to the Portland cement that is still being used today.

Up until the time of the Roman Empire, the scroll was the commonly used way of recording information. During the first century A.D., however, the Codex came into existence and this is often credited as being one of the ancient Roman inventions that has influenced our lives today. What many people don't realize, however, is that it may have been the early Christians that came up with the concept of the Codex in order to help spread their message during that time. Since the Christians had no part in earthly governments, including Rome, calling this one of the ancient Roman inventions may be in error.

The dome which is often used in construction of religious and political structures was conceived and first built by the Romans prior to the first century AD. The Pantheon in Rome is the oldest known structure that contains one of these domes. Built in about 31 B.C., it is an ancient structure that still stands today. Although it has been rebuilt throughout the ages, including one notable rebuild that happened in 125 AD, the structure still stands as a testament to the integrity of many of the ancient Roman inventions that came into play.

There are many other ancient Roman inventions which includes such things as Coliseums, the odometer, pewter, paddle wheel boats, hydraulic mining, the foot powered loom and the forced pump. Many of these may have been influenced by the ancient Greeks which the Romans conquered before rising to power. Any ancient Roman inventions that would've taken place after the conquest would have been attributed to Rome which was the power during that time.