The legacy of the Romans is extremely important and quite extensive. Many things that are part of everyday life were introduced or improved by the Romans. Over the centuries following the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Romans' ideas about law, government, literature, art, and architecture influenced many around the world. The Roman influence on architecture is illustrated not only by sports arenas, but also by churches, courts, sewers and many other public works and buildings. Roman law is one of the two major contributors to Western law (the other being English Common Law). Roman civil law is the basis of nearly all legal systems outside of the United States, United Kingdom, and Commonwealth (which are most influenced by Common Law) and some parts of the Muslim world (which govern using religious law) . The Christian church, although suppressed early, was nurtured and sponsored by the Roman Empire after the end of the 3rd century AD Without a Roman Empire to spread it, there would likely never have been Christianity. Much Christian thinking about how to live one's life was also taken from Roman philosophical schools such as Stoicism (which originated in Greece but was popular in Rome). The legacy left by the Roman Empire in the arts and literature can be seen from its demise to the present day. Many of Shakespeare's works are inspired by Roman authors such as "The Comedy of Errors", for example, is strongly influenced by Plautus' Menaechmi. Similarly, Milton was influenced by Virgil. Centuries of European writers, artists and painters grew up studying Roman literature. The founding fathers of the United States, especially those like Jefferson, had extensive classical education and deliberately modeled the federal government of the United States on the Roman Republic. This is why......middle sheet......birth of interest in classical art. The use of images of emperors on coins and sculptures introduced powerful images into society. English is a mixture of many different languages, but contains many references to Latin. Some Latin words are used directly, while others have been adapted, however the influence of the Romans in our language is easily visible. In conclusion, there have been many influences on today's society that have made our civilization what it is today. A major influence was the Roman Empire with its advances in law, arts and literature, government structures, and religion. These influences, direct and indirect, are clearly visible in everyday life. The Roman Empire has had not only a large, but important influence on modern society from its appearance, to the laws we follow, to the way we write and speak, even to the way we build an efficient city..