Writing SystemLanguage Although in some remote areas of ancient Rome the Greek language strongly emphasized the main language, the population was predominantly Latin-speaking. Specifically, Archaic Latin (also known as Old Latin) – the original version of Latin from which today's modern and classical editions derive. Due to the conquest of many countries by the ancient Roman Empire during its time, much of today's literary languages, such as English, French, and Italian, originate from archaic Latin. The Romans forced the inhabitants of the new sections of the Empire to speak Latin and thus prove their true “Romanness”. Latin Script (above) Script Originating from the early Etruscan alphabet, the ancient Roman alphabet, as well as its lettering, are not too different. to the Italian letters used today. By writing on animal skins and papyrus paper (an idea they stole from the ancient Egyptians), most people, even poor ones, in ancient Rome learned to read and write very early in life . However, while learning, students were required to write on a wax tablet, impressing their letters onto it with a pointed stick, called a stylus. Once they had proven to their teacher that they could write correctly, they were then allowed to write on paper, using quills and ink made from gum and soot or, occasionally, l octopus ink. Paper was very expensive at the time, something only the rich could afford - and even then, only boys usually used it. The Ancient Roman Alphabet Cities and Great Structures The city-state of ancient Rome had many large and advanced structures, many of which remain in their near-perfect ancient glory to this day. Some of their most famous...... middle of paper ...... reportedly earn the same amount of money as a commoner. The army of ancient Rome numbered around 150,000 soldiers at its peak. However, to make things easier, it was divided into "legions", which each contained 4,000 to 6,000 soldiers. Each legion was then divided into “cohorts” (around 1,000 soldiers each), which were then divided into “centuries” (80 to 100 soldiers). The ancient Roman army was extremely disciplined; this is probably one of the reasons they were so successful in the war. Another factor that helped, however, was tactics. The Romans' preferred strategy was to "lay siege," that is, to surround the city and prevent anyone from entering or leaving until the inhabitants died of starvation. They also used battering rams to destroy buildings and catapulted rotting animal carcasses inside the city walls to help spread disease among the population. How horrible!