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Italophilia is the admiration, appreciation or emulation of Italy, its people, its ideals, its civilization or its culture. Its opposite is Italophobia. The extent to which Italian civilization has shaped Western civilization and, by extension, the civilization of the whole world, is widely recognized and acknowledged. Appreciation of the legacy of Italic ideals, civilization and culture has existed for many centuries, into the present day. == Roman era == Rome was the center of an empire that stretched across a large segment of the then-known world, and later became the center of the Christian faith. Roman civilization was transplanted to most parts of Europe, the Mediterranean basin and the Near East in the form of law, architecture, engineering, roads, aqueducts, public baths, sanitation, trade, literature, art, libraries, hospitals and agriculture.〔Hayes, C., Baldwin, M. and Cole, C.; ''History of Western Civilization'', The Macmillan Company, New York, 1968〕 It was possible for the people in the provinces to attain Roman citizenship, rise to the Senate, and even to become Roman emperor. The Roman provinces, having received much of the benefit of Roman civilization, became Romanized to a large degree. Winston Churchill states:〔Churchill, Winston, ''History of the English Speaking Peoples'', Barnes and Noble, 1994, pg. 8 〕 : ''For nearly 300 years Britain, reconciled to the Roman system, enjoyed in many respects the happiest, most comfortable, and most enlightened times its inhabitants have ever had. The Christian religion was viewed in Rome as contrary to prevailing religious and political beliefs and, consequently, was suppressed. Many Christians in Rome and elsewhere were persecuted. After the conversion of the Emperor Constantine to Christianity in 312 AD, Christianity flourished and became an integral part of Roman life. Roman Catholicism, in a form easily recognizable today, emerged and took root in Rome and much of the Roman Empire.〔Durant, Will, ''Caesar and Christ, The Story of Civilization'', Simon and Schuster, New York, 1953, pg. 618〕 The Church adopted many religious customs and forms common in pre-Christian Rome, such as the stole and other vestments, the use of incense and holy water in purifications, burning candles before the altar, the veneration of saints, the architecture of the basilica, the law of Rome as a basis for canon law, the title Pontifex Maximus for the Pope, and Latin as the language of Catholic ritual.〔''Caesar and Christ, The Story of Civilization'', pg. 619〕 The cultural patrimony of Roman literature, architecture and sculpture inspired many of the achievements of the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Italy and the rest of Europe. Works by poets, authors and historians, such as Ovid, Horace, Catullus, Cicero, Virgil, Livy and Tacitus had a far reaching impact on the Western world. The legacy of Rome is apparent in the Western world, and elsewhere, in numerous ways, such as: * The Roman alphabet * Roman numerals * Names of the planets * Names of the months * Names of the days of the week (in Romance-language countries) * Julian Calendar (used for almost 1500 years), replaced in 1582 by the Gregorian Calendar * Systems of government and law based on Roman models * First modern concept of a hospital * Latin-derived languages in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Romania * Languages heavily influenced by Latin, such as English (approximately half Latin based) * The Roman arch * Techniques used in building roads, bridges, aqueducts, viaducts, etc. * Use of concrete as a building material * The stadium * Wine-making cultures in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria and Southern Germany 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Italophilia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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