---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All right, but apart from the sanitation…"
description: "\"All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what ha..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdc/john-cleese-1768_done_all-right-but-apart-from-the-sanitation_1567124.jpg"
---

#  All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine…

![“All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?” quote by John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdc/john-cleese-1768_done_all-right-but-apart-from-the-sanitation_1567124.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdc/john-cleese-1768_done_all-right-but-apart-from-the-sanitation_1567124.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdc/john-cleese-1768_done_all-right-but-apart-from-the-sanitation_1567124.jpg)

> “All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?”

[John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The line satirically lists Roman contributions, highlighting the absurdity of the question.

**In simple terms:** Romans did many things, not just the ones mentioned.

Key Takeaway

Recognize overlooked achievements.

Themes

history politics humor

Mood

ironic playful

Type

comedic critical

When to use this quote

- education
- public policy
- civic pride
- historical analysis

Key Concepts

satire civilization

Questions to Reflect On

- What contributions are often ignored?
- How does satire reveal bias?

A Different Perspective

The joke downplays the Romans' impact.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Fresh water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fresh-water/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Irrigation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrigation/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Public health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-health/) [Rhetorical question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhetorical-question/) [Romans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romans/) [Sanitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanitation/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/)

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