Latin became the lingua franca across Europe, during the high point of Rome.
Latin was originally spoken by people living along the lower Tiber River, and is the eldest root of the modern romance languages.
The Catholic Church utilized Latin as the primary liturgical language until the year 1965.
Latin is the longest and widely used alphabet or written system in all the world, with its origins dating back to the year 1100 BC.
Latin is a dead and unspoken language today, although it is still used in a written root form for the worlds of academics, medicine, law and science.