Having set the background and gained a glimpse of just how thorny
the subject could be it seems easiest to change tack and take the loosest of
definitions. Listing some of the many things for which Ancient Rome might justly
be remembered for....in no particular order:
Advanced roads and road
networks
Milestones
The standard width of our modern roads and tunnels is based on
that of ancient Rome (there was a standard width for cart wheels, essentially
based on the need of placing two horses side by side). The worn ruts in the
roads made it virtually impossible to use any other measure.
Triumphal arches
Aqueducts (actually they learned
much about structures from the
Estruscans, but developed it to perfection)
Bronze valves and water pumps.
Huge numbers of instruments and tools for engineering,
construction and measurement. The Romans were, after all, excellent engineers.
For example you could purchase your access to water supply for set hours of the
day or set quantities of water, which were dutifully metered and billed, pretty
much as you would today, albeit with slighty different technology!.
Medical and Surgical
tools (mainly thanks to the Greeks actually but hugely developed as a
consequence of the needs generated by Gladiatorial games and continuous war
campaigns)
Cesareans - sounds like Caesar doesn't it? Cesareans were often used
to save the baby if the mother died during childbirth.
Fast curing cement - hugely important discovery which
allowed cement to cure and harden in short times and even under water. The
ancient Romans realised that adding pozzolanic earth from volcanic regions (Eg
Pozzuoli near Naples) to traditional mortar allowed a water proof and extremely
solid mix. This could be used to waterproof the interior of aqueduct tunnels or
extend the potentials of Roman architecture
with impo