Map of Roman Britain showing main roads

 

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Some things we have that the Romans did not:

  • Technology—items such as radio, television, telephones, computers
  • Transport—cars, trains and air travel
  • Food—potatoes, bananas, tea, coffee
  • Modern medicine, vaccines (Romans used herbal remedies)
  • Pollution, global warming!
  • The Americas and Australia had not been discovered by Europeans until much later

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Latin expressions and abbreviations

a.m.
from ante meridian, meaning before midday
ad lib
from ad libitum meaning unprompted or unscripted - used by actors
ad nauseam
to go on until you feel sick
alter ego
a close friend ("second self")
annus mirabillis
wonderful year (from which The Queen made up annus horribilis to describe a bad year)
i.e.
from id est meaning it is
in excelsis
in the highest - used in hymns
mea culpa
my fault!
N.B.
from nota bene, meaning Note well
p.m.
from post meridian, meaning after midday
post mortem
after death
P.S.
from post script, meaning to write after
Q.E.D.
from quad erat demenstrandum, meaning "that is what I wanted to show"
status quo
the existing state
terra firma
On firm ground
vice versa
the other way round

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Ruins of Pompeii in Italy. Photo by Denise Jones on Unsplash Today, almost two thousand years after the end of the Roman Empire, the effects of the Roman Times can still be seen and felt:

 

There are many Roman buildings left standing around Britain, Europe and North Africa. Some of the most famous of these include the Coliseum In Rome, the public baths in Bath and Hadrian’s Wall.

A town today which has a name ending in -chester or -caster indicates that it was the site of a roman fort, such as Chester, Chichester.

Quiz

Do you know where there is a Roman Road near to where you live?

 

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Name some things we have that the Romans did not?

 

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As well as the fact that many words in the English language have evolved from Latin words, today people still use some Latin expressions and abbreviations of Latin words.

Latin expressions and abbreviations

Do you know any latin expressions or abbreviations?   Click for answers