Compare and Contrast Essay: Ancient Roman vs. US Cultures

Why do we have funerals, and memorial services? Where did the U.S. government system come from?  Who invented games and sports?  The majority of these customs and ideas came from the Roman empire and its culture. Roman culture was similar to our culture today in the U.S. because it honored the dead, created a multibranch representative government system, and had fun gatherings to take part in activities and sports. 

The people of Rome believed that we should honor the dead and give them a stone monument at their place of rest. Roman Culture respected and celebrated the lives of the dead as seen in Document 4. In our culture today we hold funerals and place gravestones with funerary inscriptions to honor and remember loved ones. These customs like funerals, memorial services, and graveside ceremonies come from Ancient Roman culture and practices. The traditions we use today reflect the past and extend way back, dating over 2000 years ago.

Our current U.S. government system is based on that of the Roman Republic’s government, consisting of three branches. Each branch has a different role. The legislative branch makes and passes laws,the judicial branch evaluates and interprets laws,  the executive branch carries out and enforces laws. The Roman government laid the foundation for the US republic that we have today. Document 1 shows that the U.S. has the same government system that the Ancient Romans used.

The information in Document 5 shows that people in Ancient Rome had a desire to gather and participate in games and fun activities.  They enjoyed group games such as sports.and often created social events. Today we have sociable gatherings where people enjoy playing games in groups just like in Ancient Roman culture.  American culture has always had a strong involvement in sports and games in our communities. People in Rome liked to have fun and similarly today we like to invent new ways to enjoy free time together. 

The three documents included above demonstrate how there are surprising similarities evident from Ancient Roman culture still used in our own modern culture today. The Roman cultural traditions are recognizable in our present day burial markers, government structure, and recreational activities. The fact that these ancient cultural traditions have lived throughout the ages and continue to shape our modern functions is amazing and makes the study of the Ancient Roman time period more interesting. It has significant value because of the way it has impacted and influenced our culture today.