by Joe Diorio

Recently I have become involved in genealogy. Visiting the history of my family has taken me on a tour of history in general. I have been reading about one of the greatest empires known to man, the Roman Empire. I marvel at the history of the Pantheon or the Coliseum filled with gladiators and chariot races while thousands of spectators looked on. Names like Julius Caesar, Virgil, Nero, Cicero and Marcus Aurelius jump out at me as I read of the awesome power they once held. I learned that Romans were the greatest architects and builders in history and it is fascinating to me that their larger than life achievements came out of a world void of the technology we enjoy today. They gave us the arch, taken for granted in today’s world and yet so awe inspiring! The building of the Coliseum and the magnificent aqueducts are wonders to modern man, structural masterpieces still standing, reminding the world of the glory that was Rome. How did they do it? Their roads are still in use. They had heating and a sewer system and running water. They had schools and hospitals and most of all, lavish bathhouses. They brought civilization to the very worlds in which they conquered. Studying the Roman Empire is not only interesting but the reader is bound to make the comparison to America today. More than half the words we use derived from the Latin of the Romans. As the United States is a melting pot of peoples from other lands, so was Rome. Remember however, the Roman Empire lasted much longer than our history. Think about it, there was peace in the world for over a thousand years! Known as the pax romana, the Romans brought this peace and along with it, civilization and culture to the entire western world! All roads, in fact, did lead to Rome!