Next time you flush, thank the Romans

The Ancient Roman empire started around 753 B.C. and lasted more than 1,000 years. During that time, Roman engineers, scientists and writers invented some amazing things that changed their lives and continue to be used today.

1. Roads

The Romans built a network of straight, solid roads across Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa, Brittanica.com reported. These roads had a foundation of clay, chalk and gravel with flat stones on top. Roman roads were raised in the center and sloped down gradually on the sides so rain would run off the surfaces. While most of those original roads have been replaced, many modern roads follow the same paths.

2. Aqueducts

The Romans used a series of pipes, tunnels and bridges to transport fresh water from streams and lakes to cities, like Rome. At one point, Rome had 11 aqueduct systems supplying it water from as far as 57 miles away, National Geographic reported. The Roman aqueduct system, built over about 500 years, used gravity and the natural slope of the land to funnel the water, rather than the pumps some modern water systems use. But aqueducts still are in use around the world. For example, the California Aqueduct, a 444-mile long canal, transports water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delt to the drier region of Southern California.

3. Flushing toilets

Keeping cities clean of human waste (poop, pee, etc.) helps keep citizens healthy. The Romans created the first flushing toilets and sewers. The first public restrooms in Rome were long stone benches with holes for people to sit on and go to the bathroom. Beneath the toilets were channels that carried the waste down to a larger drain. Although it may have been an improvement, historians say these public restrooms weren't very clean and might not have helped Romans avoid illnesses.

4. Concrete

With so much to build, the Romans needed a really solid building material. Roman concrete, which included volcanic ash, lime and seawater, has stood strong for more than 1,000 years, when modern concrete can break down in a few decades, Science magazine reported. The Romans even had some concrete that could set under water, which made it really helpful for building bridges.

5. Roman numerals

The Romans invented their numerals as a counting system sometime between 900 and 800 B.C., LiveScience.com reported. The system has seven symbols - I, V, X, L, C, D and M - which all have different values. Although we now use the decimal system for counting, Roman numerals remain in some parts of our lives. The 2021 Super Bowl back in February was Super Bowl LV, which is the Roman numeral for 55. 'L” is 50 and 'V” is five. You might also see Roman numerals on some clock faces.

6. Newspaper

The writers of The Kids Gazette are glad the Romans had the idea for the first newspaper, the Acta Diurna, which is believed to have been first published before 59 B.C., Brittanica.com reported. The Latin word Acta means 'things that have been done” and diurna means 'daily,” so this was a report of things happening around ancient Rome on a regular basis.

7. The Julian calendar

Without the Romans, we wouldn't have the calendar we use today. The Julian calendar, which came about in 46 B.C. under the reign of Julius Caesar, split the year into 365 days, divided into 12 months. This calendar also created leap year, by adding one day to February every four years, to even things up. The calendar was revised slightly in 1582, but the basics remained the same.

Comments: erin.jordan@thegazette.com