What language did the Romans speak?
As a passionate gamer and content creator, I‘m always fascinated by history – especially the ancient civilizations that form the backdrop for so many epic adventures. So when asked "what language did the Romans speak?", I had to delve deeper.
The Roman Empire reigned over 60 million people across North Africa, the Middle East and Europe at its peak in the 2nd century AD. As it expanded its borders, the Latin language spread and became the common tongue used by soldiers, merchants, and citizens across Western civilization for centuries.
Here‘s a closer look at how Latin emerged and evolved over time:
The Origins of Latin – A Local Dialect Goes Global
Latin originated around 75 BC in the central Italian region of Latium, spoken by the Latini tribes. As Rome conquered neighboring civilizations, Latin became adopted as the language of politics, commerce and law. By AD 14, an estimated 5 million citizens spoke Latin across the Roman Republic.
The Height of the Roman Empire – Latin Reigns Supreme
At its territorial peak under Trajan in 117 AD, scholars estimate Latin would have been a native or secondary tongue for over 25 million people spanning Roman Britain, Gaul (France/Germany), the Balkans, Egypt, North Africa, Asia Minor, the Levant, the Iberian Peninsula and Italy. Seeing Latin‘s reach at the height of imperial power sparks my imagination about that era!
The Fall of Rome – Transformation of the Latin Tongue
As the Empire crumbled, so too did the dominance of Latin change. Ecclesiastical Latin became the Catholic Church‘s primary language. Vulgar Latin splintered regionally into dialects that eventually formed early Romance languages like Spanish, French and Italian. Yet Latin still influenced new languages – over 60% of English words stem from Latin.
There is still more that can be analyzed on Latin‘s evolution over the centuries since Rome‘s collapse. But I hope this gives insight into "what language did the Romans speak" and the emerging languages influenced by this mighty ancient tongue! Let me know if you have any other questions.
