Final answer:
The Romans got their architecture and alphabet primarily from the Ancient Greeks, through direct contact, trade, and later conquest. They adopted and adapted Greek architectural styles and the Greek alphabet, modified it eventually leading to the development of the Latin alphabet. These cultural adoptions greatly influenced Western civilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Romans derived a considerable amount of their architecture and alphabet from the Ancient Greeks. This can be seen in the Romans' adoption and adaptation of Greek columns and orders (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian) in their temples and other buildings. Additionally, Roman temples, like the Temple of Jupiter, exhibited Etruscan influences yet retained a distinctly Roman innovation in their design, such as the deep porches and frontality that differed from the Greek peripteral style. The Romans also adopted the Greek alphabet through the Etruscans, further developing it into Latin, which laid the foundation for the modern Romance languages.
Greek culture was highly influential not just in the architecture and language but also in Roman religion, art, urban planning, and social customs. Romans emulated and improved upon the Greek and Etruscan architectural styles for their temples and other monumental structures such as aqueducts.
Through direct contact and trade with the Greeks and Greek colonies, and later through the conquest of Greek territories, Rome absorbed a myriad of cultural influences which permeated into the greater Roman Empire, shaping Western civilization as we know it. The synthesis of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman elements created a unique architectural and cultural heritage that has endured through the centuries.