Roman Inventions

The Romans invented highways and roads as a way to get around. They normally made straight roads so they could travel faster because winding roads took longer to get to the place you wanted to go, and bandits and robbers could be hiding around bends.



One of the most famous Roman baths was in Bath, England. The baths were built on hot springs that were said to have healing powers. The floors of the baths were heated by a Roman system called a hypocaust that circulated hot air under the floors. Items were often stolen in the baths by pickpockets and thieves.

Roman numerals were developed so that the Romans could easily price different goods and services. Roman numbers were widely used throughout the Roman Empire in everyday life. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, numerals continued to be used throughout Europe up until the 1600's.

The Romans had a complex system of sewers covered by stones, much like modern sewers. Waste flushed from the latrines flowed through a central channel into the main sewage system and thence into a nearby river or stream. The sewers were mainly for the removal of surface drainage and underground water.