There is a misconception that Romans once enjoyed violence in their society. Much was known from ancient Roman books in which writers described their gladiatorial fights and slave-holding. History tells us that it is true that the Romans enjoyed fighting events and even today it has become part of our culture to see people fighting for fun and money but without weapons that could kill someone. These particular types of events are still popular today. Many of the violences that have occurred throughout history have shaped our society, making it more civilized and bringing these themes into literature even today. We see a lot of this in movies, TV shows, books, and even music. This shows how the past has developed over the centuries while we still see things in the present. Mostly literature has benefited from the common themes of violence and anger as a way to express the author's idea to the reader. Therefore Roman society and its violence is one of the few empires that became what is considered violent today. The beginning of Roman literature remains a lasting legacy of the culture of ancient Rome. "Some of the earliest extant works are historical epics recounting Rome's early military history, followed (as the Republic expanded) by poems, comedies, histories, and tragedies." Much of Latin literature was influenced greatly by the traditions of the literary tradition of Greece. Virgil's poetry and stories such as The Aeneid are influenced primarily by Homer's epic tale of the Odyssey. Many other authors such as Catullus, Horace, Lucan and others follow the same path as they come up with new ideas. From that point on Roman literature began to become more... middle of paper... before it affected everyone's lifestyle. Works Cited The Classical Origins of Western Culture by Roger Dunkle Brooklyn College Original text Copyright © 1986 by Brooklyn College, City University of New York. All rights reserved. Published 1986. Drake, H. A. "Intolerance, Religious Violence, and Political Legitimacy in Late Antiquity." Journal of the American Academy of Religion 79.1 (2011): 193-235. Academic research completed. Network. April 28, 2014.Russello, Gerald. “Georgic in my mind.” New Criterion 23.10 (2005): 89+. Literary Resource Center. Network. 28 April 2014. Document URL http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.gpc.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA133682124&v=2.1&u=clar34424&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=9bc985934e495165fa7ab988d5aa74eb Forman , Robert J. "Virgil." Magill's Survey of World Literature, revised edition (2009): 1-8. Literary reference center. Network. April 28. 2014.