Latin

The Latin culture represents the ancient Latins of Latium, the lower Tiber region around Rome, and the Roman people they became. According to tradition Rome was founded in 753 BC and the Republic in 509 BC. Citizenship was extended to other Italic peoples after the Social War and, by Caracalla's edict of 212, to every free inhabitant of the empire.

Latin spread with legions and colonies across Europe, North Africa and the Near East, producing the Classical Latin of Cicero and Virgil alongside the Vulgar Latin of soldiers and settlers.

The Western Empire collapsed in the fifth century, but between the sixth and ninth centuries Vulgar Latin evolved into Romance languages, while written Medieval Latin remained the common language of Catholic liturgy, law, diplomacy and scholarship. In 1337 it was still the language of the Church, universities and almost all formal writing.