25 Roman Quotes About the Ancient Empire

By Clifton Sankofa

School Leader, Language Arts Expert & Master Quote Curator

Published May 27, 2023

Take a moment to celebrate history with our Roman quotes.

Today, Rome is one of the most popular tourist destinations worldwide.

However, Rome has a long history of influencing the globe.

Find out how with our Roman quotes below.

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Who are the Romans?

Romans are people who live in Rome, Italy.

However, when people reference ‘the Romans,’ they usually mean the Romans of antiquity.

Ancient Rome refers to the Roman civilization from the founding of Rome in the 8th century to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century.

Check out these interesting Roman facts below:

Romans bathed together in large public baths.
Bath in England got its name because of the public baths that the Romans built there.
The Roman’s most popular form of entertainment was gladiator fights in the Colosseums.

Ancient Rome began as a settlement on the Tiber River and became one of the world’s largest empires, eventually controlling territory in Europe, The Mediterranean, Africa, and Asia.

The Romans were the soldiers, politicians, thinkers, historians, and people who made up the Roman Empire.

How does Roman culture impact us today?

Ancient Rome had many accomplishments.

Aside from heavily influencing the idea of empire and expansion, Roman culture has significantly impacted Western and world cultures.

Ancient Roman culture has contributed to modern religion, technology, politics, government, warfare, literature, art, architecture, engineering, and contemporary language.

How did the Roman Empire collapse?

It is said that nothing lasts forever.

This adage rings true in all aspects of human life.

Rome expanded its presence into three continents at its most significant point.

However, over time, political and military complications began to take their toll.

Army generals dominated the emperorship, and corruption destroyed the empire internally.

Over time, their once powerful army was reduced to a group of mercenaries with no true loyalty to Rome.

Wave after wave of Germanic tribes saw a weak Roman Empire and decided to strike.

Eventually, warriors from Germanic tribes swept through and took over the Roman Empire.

To learn more, check out our Roman quotes below.

Short Roman quotes about one of Earth’s largest empires

These Roman quotes are short and get right to the point.

1. “Well, if you look at the whole story, I mean there’s only Jews and Romans in the story.” — Mel Gibson

2. “NFL fans have less sympathy for fallen players than the Romans had for blind Christians.” — Stephen Rodrick

3. “I think with the Romans, that the general of today should be a soldier tomorrow if necessary.” — Thomas Jefferson

4. “The Romans used every housing form known today, and they have a remarkably modern look.” — Stephen Gardiner

5. “I’ve got a book of poetry by the bed, one of these big collections that goes back to the Greeks and Romans.” — Martin Cruz Smith

The top Roman quotes about culture and impact

Rome has impacted our world in many ways, and these quotes remind us how.

6. “Jerusalem was turned into a Roman army camp, and it was a total devastation.” — Elaine Pagels

7. “The Romans weren’t trying to kill all the Jews, but they did destroy Jewish resistance to Roman rule.” — Elaine Pagels

8. “Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state.” — Thomas Jefferson

9. “If you go back to the Greeks and Romans, they talk about all three — wine, food, and art — as a way of enhancing life.” — Robert Mondavi

10. “The Romans were not inventors of the supporting arch, but its extended use in vaults and intersecting barrel shapes and domes is theirs.” — Harry Seidler

The best Romans quotes from The Bible

These quotes come from the book of Romans.

11. “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being.” — Romans 7:22

12. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” — Romans 10:17

13. “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” — Romans 5:19

14. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 3:23-24

15. “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” — Romans 4:20-21

Roman quotes and sayings about history and fashion

Roman culture has influenced everything from how we dress to how we fight.

16. “Roman history was kind of unavoidable where I was growing up.” — Neil Marshall

17. “I love drawing on lead. Romans used to curse each other with sheets of it. ” — Shea Hembrey

18. “I became fascinated by the idea of what was so terrifying up there that the Romans built a 60-mile long, 30 feet high stone wall to keep it out?” — Neil Marshall

19. “Fashion is not just about trends. It’s about political history. You can trace it from the ancient Romans to probably until the ’80s, and you can see defining moments that were due either to revolutions or changes in politics.” — Daphne Guinness

20. “In world mythology, there are countless examples of tragic characters whose greatest strength is also the source of their undoing. But the ancient Greeks and Romans also held the view that acceptance is the beginning of wisdom.” — Simon Van Booy

Famous Roman quotes about the civilization and culture

Many people attribute the success of Roman culture as an essential aspect of Western civilization.

21. “Our society is the product of several great religious and philosophical traditions. The ideas of the Greeks and Romans, Christianity, Judaism, humanism, and the Enlightenment have made us who we are.” — Jan Peter Balkenende

22. “Perhaps Western civilization is in a post—decline phase, or maybe the decline is just taking a really long time, like the Roman Empire’s did. The Romans had gladiators and Christian—hungry lions and that sort of thing. We have MTV.” — Tom Shales

23. “English has been this vacuum cleaner of a language because of its history meeting up with the Romans and then the Danes, the Vikings and then the French and then the Renaissance with all the Latin and Greek and Hebrew in the background.” — David Crystal

24. “The lessons of history would suggest that civilizations move in cycles. You can track that back quite far; the Babylonians, the Sumerians, followed by the Egyptians, the Romans, China. We’re obviously in a very upward cycle right now, and hopefully, that remains the case. But it may not.” — Elon Musk

25. “The idea that women are innately gentle is a fantasy and a historically recent one. Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction, is depicted as wreathed in male human skulls; the cruel entertainments of the Romans drew audiences as female as they were male; Boudicca led her British troops bloodily into battle.” — Naomi Wolf

Why is Roman food world famous?

People have come to Rome for centuries to taste its delicious cuisine.

Rome has been one of the world’s food capitals for generations.

People continue to flock there every year to try authentic Italian cuisine.

The late great journalist and chef Anthony Bourdain loved Rome.

In one of his visits, he noted, “If I’m in Rome for only 48 hours, I would consider it a sin against God to not eat cacio e pepe, the most uniquely Roman of pastas, in some crummy little joint where Romans eat.”

Bourdain was known for his tongue-in-cheek comments and willingness to express his feelings.

For him, the food in Italy is worth the visit.

He adds, “I’d much rather do that than go to the Vatican. That’s Rome to me.”