Latin Culture

In the direction first of the term, the Culture Latin E is the culture of the Latin , people founder of Rome. By extension, the Latin culture indicates the culture of the ancient Rome and the Roman Empire which diffused in Roman civilization on all the conquered provinces.

Today, the countries of Latin culture gather the people says Latin, i.e. from which the language and part of the cultural heritage, even ethnic is derived from ancient Rome. One can mainly quote there the Spanish-speaking people , French-speaking, italophones, Portuguese-speaking and the roumanophones.

Latin culture

In the Antiquity, Rome was an important military power. During more than thousand years of history, the city and its empire developed a remarkable civilization, engraving in the marble the reference of civilizations which succeeded to him while being claimed some.

See also: ancient Rome

Worsen Roman

See also: Roman Province

Roman government

Rome knew mainly three types of modes, although officially there were only two of them:

Note: The Roman Empire survived in the East the fall of Rome; we know it under the name Byzantine Empire. It lasted there until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. However, their religion, their language, and their culture were primarily Greek rather than Roman, this is why it will not be there refers in this article.

Roman culture

Roman law

See also: Roman law

Roman religion

  • funerary Rites of ancient Rome

See also: ancient Roman Religion,

Roman life

See also: Roman Life

List countries/states of Latin culture

Here an not-exhaustive list of the countries of Latin culture, one can distinguish the " first génération" : Ancient Rome (disappeared today), the " second génération" (let us quote here particularly the countries whose Romance culture remained prevalent, because the Roman Empire extended on a surface much larger than these countries): Italy, Spain, Portugal and Romania, resulting from the colonization of Rome, and countries of the third generation, Latinized by those of the " second génération" , located mainly in America.

In addition one can quote countries which one cannot really describe as " latins" , not having a culture is not mainly Latin: It acts on the one hand the country having been colonized by a Latin power but whose influence remains surface, limited with the official language. Often in these countries of the not-Romance languages can dominate orally and have a very strong not-Latin cultural influence (African, Amerindian or Asian culture) (It is primarily about French-speaking country of Africa for example, of Philippines, but also of Haiti or Bolivia). And finally the category of the country mainly not-Latin comprising an important part of Romance language such Switzerland, Belgium, Canada.

Country of second generation

Country of third generation

Not easily qualifiable countries of Latin official language but of " latins"

It is interesting to note that some of them form all the same part of the Latin Union.

Country mainly not-Latin but having important areas of Romance language

Culture gréco-Roman

The origin of the Latin culture lies in the Civilization gréco-Roman. The culture developed following the existence of the Grande Greece and developed under the Roman domination was spread and developed under the Roman Empire (mainly the Roman Empire of Occident, the Roman Empire of the East having early made return to a linguistic practice of the Greek).

The latter had dietary habits, vestimentary, social, linguistic, architectural, etc which they transmitted to the people occupying the territories belonging to the empire.

Writing and numeration

The diffusion of the Latin alphabet and the maintenance of the Greek alphabet belong to the heritage gréco-Roman. The Latin alphabet with some minor evolutions was essential in the majority of the countries of Occidental culture. In addition, the Romans in the last centuries of the Empire adopted a new form of the written support, the Codex that they bequeathed us in the shape of the book connected.

Supplanted by the figures known as Arab better adapted to the decimal notation, the Roman numerals are still included/understood by the majority of the Westerners (in general for the values relatively low, beyond XXXVIII is 38, one does not know generally more) because they are used in other things to number the crowned heads.

Latin languages

In addition to the Latin modern, the languages and Latin dialects themselves Romance or néo-Latin are the languages deriving from Latin. One finds there for example inter alia:

The Latin languages of today result generally from another Latin language from last having evolved/moved, or then whose population using it will have been comparable by other more influential dialects, others will have disappeared, among those:

  • the Romance (ancestor of French and the languages of oil)
  • the Etruscan (N.B only the end of the Etruscan period would really correspond to the Romance profile)
  • the Dalmate ( végliote and ragusain )

Languages with strong influence of Latin and/or the Romance languages

Other languages, especially Germanic origins, have a large variety of words of Latin origin and/or a Romance language although the Syntaxe very often diverges from a Latin syntax. Nevertheless, let us note that the Alphabet Germanic languages is Latin.

  • the English (vocabulary of origin with 28,24% Latin, 28,3% Frenchwoman)

  • the Dutch
  • the German
  • the Ladino (Hebraic Syntax , majority of the words of Spanish origin (Castilian))
  • the Filipino (Of origin and structure Tagalog, much of Spanish words (Castilian) there were borrowed.)
Creoles
Many creole languages, particularly rising from French, are present in the world in the old colonies where the population is either indigenous or of origin off-set by authorities of Latin origin (Spanish, French, Belgian, Portuguese). It is a phenomenon present at the majority the colonized populations having been bequeathed has a nomination of citizen second-rate by the authority of the metropolis, that this one is Latin or not. For the Romance Creoles let us quote enter-others:
  • the Haitian Creole
  • the Malagasy Creole
  • African Creoles (Congolese, Senegalese, etc)
  • the Vietnamese Creole

Public recreation

The public recreation was an originally Greek thing, but its deployment since the Roman Empire and enrichment that the latter brought to him established standards and generated the same bases of what became the theater, the music, the dance, the song, the spectacle, the sculpture and the world of the artists. Even star system of today being based on the bases of Roman art.

Music

There strictly speaking does not exist only one music specific to the countries of Latin culture, (contrary to the generally accepted ideas that the modern media call Latin Musique is a concept marketing which corresponds generally only to the afro-latino-American musics). In fact, there exists a multitude of popular musics in each country of Latin culture.

Low culture
The Flamenco in Spain, the Salsa in Cuba or the Tango and the Milonga in Argentina are generally references, also the Italian folk music. French modern music (Swell, Xénakis, Henry, etc) although those are not specifically Latin can see many influences there. In certain cases however, the characteristics are sufficient to correspond to the Latin said musical model.

These last have a rate/rhythm pronounced on the level of the String instruments and often the support of the coppers (especially the Trompette). Very often the Guitar and the Violon will be put before in order to rythmer the music. Let us note the use of instruments such as the Castagnettes and the Accordéon, strongly used and associated with the style. Let us note especially the margin between Europe and America, Europe having on this level of the similarities with the Greek music and gipsy (Rroms).

High culture
And with regard to the music of high culture, one must obviously quote the operas and the Italian and French classical music. The instrumentation also changes, enter-others the keyboards (Piano, Orgue, Clavecin, Harmonium).

Here the musicalle influence is felt much on the level of the catholic heritage, the clerical songs, the representations in theater and sometimes with the church. It is also necessary to note the influence of the times the such old mode, or the balls and the classical music being attached to it, the such waltz were more courrants.

Dance

There exist Latin, very different dances according to the countries and the influences (African and Amerindian influences in Latin America, North-African influences and gipsies in Latin Europe).

Theater and cinema

In the Latin world, the Théâtre had an important place since antiquity. The Romans built many theaters (from which a revolution came from architecture) and circuses according to the traces of the Greeks. The Latin people worked out the art of the theater on a level very arranged hierarchically and codified, which gave rise to various currents which are clean for them. We can quote:

It is advisable to stress the fact that the Latin people have their kind clean; thus, at the time traditional, the theater of the Germanic people such English was regarded in particular as too much “violent one” to correspond to the model of Latin theaters. For example the parts of William Shakespeare such Romeo and Juliette or Hamlet include/understand scenes of combat to the sword and assassinations which are not appropriate for the Latin theater. So to speak at the same time even Molière was made criticize a lack of taste.

For the level of the low culture it is necessary to specify two things:

  • the travelling troops (often of the Saltimbanque), of especially Italian origin, from which the Commedia dell' arte and others came…
  • the recreations given by the wandering roms and populations, from which art and the services were strongly Latinized in the territories of Romance culture and ensuites propagated with the size these territories.

Cinema

The Latin culture in the Cinéma can be seen under two aspects:

  • the ancient source of inspiration
  • the specificity of the productions of the countries of Latin culture
Like source of inspiration, the time and the Roman history gave rise to the Péplum, kind cinematographic with whole share which appears as of the silent film (a Spartacus in the years 1910, Cabiria in 1914, Ben-Hur in 1925) and re-appears periodically. It will be noted that the scenarios give a vision of the world Roman which is not without relationship with mentality (even the ideology) their producers: the Italian fascistic period gave the beautiful role to the Romans ( Scipion the African ), while they were frequently presented in the American cinema like brutal, persecuting oppressors of Christians or Jews, and dépravés declining. The last péplums offer a vision which wants to be without party taken and sticks to a more realistic Roman daily newspaper ( Gladiator , series Rome).

For the level of the Latin Cinéma it should be remembered that Latin arts “were popularized” before the arrival of the cinema. It thus results from this the Italian and French comedies, or the sociological essays of years 60-70 (to be stressed that a similar current was present at that time in the Anglo-Saxon world, nevertheless the style of scenario diverges completely). It is advisable not to confuse cinema étasunien treating Latin people with the Latin cinema.

The Latin America will lay much more the stress on a cinema at telling small budget of the sociocultural dramas or denouncers tackling the western powers. It should be stressed the nationalist heat and often Socialist of the Latin cinema of America (Quebec inclusively).

Gastronomy and Latin food

Once again one must distinguish Europe and America: In Europe Latin culture rhyme with the Mediterranean. That is found in the kitchens where one finds the three basic ingredients of the Mediterranean basin: wine, olive oil (especially red) and corn (from where pastes, bread, pizza pie) The presence of the fresh produce (often of the sea) and of Mediterranean vegetables (zucchinis, sweet peppers, tomatos) and of aromatics (saffron, thyme, basil, etc) The culture of the wine or the olive oil are important points of the food identity of the Latin countries of Europe. France and Italy are known to be the first producers and consuming wine in the world. Italy and Spain divide the market of the olive oils, as producers and consumers. This said, there exists in each one of these countries of the gastronomical influences others that Mediterranean, in particular in the north of France. The contemporary gastronomy of Latin Europe grew rich by other influences and perfumes but is recognized for its refinement.

In addition, the gastronomical traditions of the Latin America do not have really common points. In the “Southern Cone” (Argentinian, Chile, Uruguay and southern Brazil, where the population is mainly originating in Latin Europe one finds a certain influence Mediterranean, the more so as the climate is favourable with the culture of the vine, of corn or olive.

Elsewhere, the dietary habits result from the period précolombienne and the influence of the tropical climate that influence of the Spanish or Portuguese cultures. For example, the Mexican kitchen does not have large thing of Latin but is of Aztec inspiration.

Vestimentary

The Latin people being mainly located in territories where the climate is soft or hot, the Latin vestimentary style “traditional” evolved to often light clothing. Côtoiement of the Arab and Latin cultures (ex: Arab occupation of Spain and Sicily) gave birth has a panoply of vestimentary styles bordered of laces or fabric ornaments.

In the world globalized of today, this is not really any more valid. However, the contemporary vestimentary practices of the Latin countries are often associated with the concept of " chic" and of good taste (haute couture), that is especially true in Italy and France (in particular in Paris and Milan).

Latin architecture

The traditional Latin architecture (in Europe) was mainly influenced by the Mediterranean world. One often finds there very dense cities, organized with closed small islands and systems of course. Public space holds a role much more important to with it than in the countries of Northern Europe. The influence of antiquity is found in the movement Classique, but also in architecture resulting from the Italian Renaissance.

The image first, diffused with large scales, of Mediterranean architecture was that of ancient Greece, which influenced as far as India and in Egypt certain achievements. Following the spreading out of the culture of the Greek people on “large Greece” (Italian peninsula) their architectural techniques were initially taken again, then improved, for beings finally diffused in all the Roman Empire. Determining architecture being the visual major one of the culture it was installation in all the provinces of the empire. As a Gaulle, Ibérie and in all the empire there were refitting and constructions of Roman cities with large scales. By this means the empire was to only be essential like dominant public authority, founding their administration of the public services which were at the time mainly of the services of infrastructures (aqueducts, sewers, roads). Let us note that in this respect the centralized public administration is also a very Latin heritage.

The traditional roofs are often marked by the presence of a weak slope and by the use of the tile channel (exit of the Roman tile - Imbrex and Tegula). Following Iberian colonization of the Central America and south, a certain number of these characteristics were exported.

The adjustments of sewers, aqueducts and installation of the minor district or rivers within a city are of a direct heritage of the Romans. Enter-others the installation of public baths and the exploitation of the thermal springs in everyone European and Maghrebian have strong Latin influences.

Fitting-out public Latin is also to underline. Since the central place at the stage, while passing by the many types of theaters. The form round (and parabolic) allows the diffusion of the sound indeed, and thus to transfer it onto more a large surface. The Latin theater thus reached a greater proportion of the population. The public assemblies of natures political or legal were also more accessible.

The arched Roman roads and bridges, laid out at the origin for transport of the Roman troops, are sometimes still of use today. Their exceptional design, very laminated, gave them one not easily calculable lifespan. These roads contributed inter alia to the development of the saving and the hegemony in Rome on Europe.

Public administration

On the level of the public administration, the Latin influence is seen everywhere in occident. Since the systems of public services centralized and managed by the government even with the presence in several Western countries of a senate. The Roman Empire being the first great empire of antiquity to establish a durable management system on a vast territory the influence of its structure remained and is seen everywhere.

Monarchy

The monarchical system of the European Middle Ages (of which it remains many traces today) car its roots of the Latin world and its management. The king was thus recognized like the elected official of god and the pope his representative. The tender of the serfs to the empire having become the tender of vassal with the king and his lord. Although this political system does not exist any more, much of European countries always supreme kings as chief of the state have, on a purely basis more often representative than executive.

Parliamentarism and senate

The Roman senate, parliamentarism and the prefects were an ancient structure of the Roman Empire. Prefects being administrative Masters delegated for an area, Parliament and the Roman senate being political structures, sometimes influenced by Greek, which made it possible the empire to promulgate the supreme capacity with the emperor while letting an executive council be expressed on the decisions and the projects brought.

Political church

The Christian religion Catholic being the religion of the State under the Roman Empire, it remained it very a long time in Western Europe. When the Protestant faith is discovered then, from the structures are detached from the influence of Rome but constitute themselves in a similar system (the Archevêché of Canterbury for example).

Religion

Although it is not the cradle, the Latin culture allowed the diffusion of the Christian Religion, and gave him decisive political impetuses to the 4th century after JC. with the emperors Constantin I {{er}} and Théodose Ier.

With the Great schism of the East between the catholic and orthodoxe confessions, then thereafter with Protestant Reform, another separation, the Latin culture thus is often associated with the catholic confession, although the practice was lost much; nevertheless the countries of Latin culture are very mainly of catholic tradition. Of aucuns affirm that Eastern Europe east mainly heiress of Greek culture, even Byzantine, and Northern Europe of culture Germanic for these reasons. What is moderated obviously, for example in Germany, the work of Goethe showing that it synthesized the Latin culture in the modern history as well as did it France of the Lights, consequently with the Rebirth.

The Moldavie and the Romania are when with them orthodoxe, their religions rising from the Byzantine Empire.

Today still, continuous Rome with being at the same time the historical center of the Latinity and the center of the Catholic church ( caput mundi ), universal world which she claimed to direct through the Christian Occident. The pope still carries the ancient Roman title of Pontifex maximus , sovereign pontiff.

Related articles

External bonds

History
  • the site of the history and Roman civilization by Jean-Paul AUDIBERT…
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