What have the Romans ever done for us?
For Monty Python fans the question "What have the Romans ever done for us ?" will recall the irreverent comedy of the film 'The Life of Brian' . There is a serious question behind this frivolous skit. The Roman Empire and the culture it exported was the most advanced the world had ever seen. Indeed after the fall of the Roman Empire it never got back up to the same level, in Western Europe, until many centuries later.