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Latin

It unified the first inhabitants of Rome and allowed conquered people in different areas to conduct business together

Ancient Italian languages, the Greeks, and the Phoenicians

The widespread use of Latin as one of the first shared languages in Europe

Scientific discoveries being given Latin names, state and national mottos being written in Latin, and many church services still given in Latin

Cicero, Horace, Virgil, and Ovid wrote important works about Roman society, politics, philosophy, mythology, and history.

The writings of Cicero, Horace, Virgil, and Ovid helped define modern standards of morality, philosophy, and style. They also established the stories of classical mythology that influenced artists for centuries.

Roman law was closely tied to the Roman political system, known as the republic. Even after the transition to an empire, the emperor was subject to the will of the Senate in most matters.

The Romans developed legal practices to prevent one person from achieving absolute power, such as term limits, the separation of powers, the system of checks and balances, impeachment, and elections.

Roman citizenship defined who could receive the rights of Roman law, such as the right to vote. The Romans were the first to institutionalize citizenship rights and define who could and could not call themselves Romans.