The modern world has the ancient Romans to thank for the origins of many modern technologies, conveniences, and ideas, from running water, baths, and republican style government to roads. Similarly, by the 3rd century BCE, the Romans were prodigious monument builders, so much so that the memory of the great Roman Republic and the Roman Empire continues to exist within a cityscape of stone. Rome’s public spaces were filled with statues, arches, temples, and many other varieties of monumental images, and each of these structures had its own civic or religious function. At the same time, most were embedded with stories, messages, and symbolism so that they also tended to function as propaganda.

Roads, aqueducts, and buildings are perhaps the most notable benefits linked to the rise and expansion of the vast Roman Empire, yet the wealth of innovations, discoveries, and significant improvements on many existing methods and practices are also found in numerous areas. What is clear from this breadth is that the Romans were fundamentally pragmatic. Whether they be Greeks, Etruscans, Celts or others, there seems to have been no compunction from the Romans in using, borrowing, or stealing ideas and successfully adapting them for their own specific needs. Their relatively high levels of technology within the ancient world must be largely attributable to this ability, both in terms of access and attitude—the underlying tenet of Romanization was, after all, to assimilate and modify rather than remove and replace.

The development of Roman astronomy was no exception. It evolved over the centuries, embracing the ideas of many cultures as the Romans conquered much of the known world, soaking up knowledge from Asia, Europe, and Africa. Each civilization brought distinct traditions and scientific understanding, and Rome was a bridge, preserving and spreading the concepts and technologies of its conquered lands, including astronomy.