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Comparing greeks and romans
Comparisons between ancient Greece and ancient Rome
Ancient greece and rome compare and contrast
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When thinking about Greece and Rome, it’s known that they were similar but also were very different in many ways, down to philosophers to architectural building styles, all the way to clothing styles. But which was better at keeping a balanced civilization? Ancient Greece was located on the islands of the Aegean Sea, and on the rocky peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea which made Greece isolated. While Rome was located with mountains on the east and a sea to the west of it. This gave enemies access to them from the north and south. For trading Greece’s main trading place was Agora Market. Agora in Greek means ‘open place of assembly’ and there they traded mainly olive oil, wine, pottery, metalwork, cheese, perfumes, glass, wheat, rugs, and ivory. While Rome’s was the Trajan Market. The Trajan Market was constructed in 107-110 CE during the reign of Trajan. The Market had small front shops and a residential apartment block. Mainly beef, corn, glassware, iron, lead, leather, marble, olive oil, perfumes, purple dye, silk, silver, spices, timber, tin and wine …show more content…
Greece’s social ladder was: Male Citizens, Politicians, Soldiers, Other, Women and children, and slaves. Women were not considered to be citizens in Ancient Greece and Greece sons were considered to be the legal heir to their fathers. Rome’s social ladder was: Slaves, Freedman, Plebeians, and Patricians; but both Rome and Greece’s social ladders were distributed by wealth. The word Philosopher in Ancient Greek means "lover of wisdom". Very famous philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were from Greece. Socrates introduced the Socratic Method, Plato wrote “The Republic” where he stated that Oligarchy is the best form of government , and Aristotle that was mostly known for tutoring Alexander the Great in 338. For Roman Philosophers it was Marcus Aurelius and he was best known for his Meditations on Stoic philosophy, and Cicero who is best known for his
Additionally, both civilizations had systems to keep their members in line, and keep checks on people in power. As explained in Document D, Athens had yearly ostracisms to prevent powerful Athenians from demolishing the democracy, while Rome had two censors who ranked citizens, and could
One of these actions included the use of trade routes in Greece. Since Greece did not consist of fertile land and soil, trading with Phoenicia and other civilizations became a way for the country to obtain important resources they did not have in order for them to thrive (9). America also exchanges goods.They do this by importing and exporting them to and from other countries to also be able to acquire goods that cannot be found in the United States. In addition, Rome also possessed a complex network of roads. The roads in ancient Rome allowed for people to travel from naval base to naval base and transport legions (11). Likewise to Rome, the United States uses roads and highways to travel farther distances more efficiently. Also, America has figured out ways to transport their army, navy, and military to other countries more quickly than ancient Rome was able to. Moreover, the Romans had currency in the form of coins (7). Since the Greeks used coins, they inspired Rome to also use a form of coinage and this allowed Greece, Rome, and other countries along the Mediterranean Sea to exchange resources within one another’s empires. Although Rome did not possess many natural resources, the currency they used enabled them to obtain natural resources from other countries in order to
The Greek and Roman civilizations differed from each other in ways, but were more alike than many other cultures. Persia for example, was much different from Greece specifically. Persia was an agricultural based empire with strict capitals throughout, whereas, Greece
Both countries didn’t allow women and slaves to obtain citizenship, and members of the poorer class in both countries weren’t allowed to vote or hold office. Also in these times the two countries both had their problems in leadership and government. Rome during these times became the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion under the rule of Constantine. Also during these times two of the greatest conquers where from these two countries when you think of Alexander the Great in Greece and Julius Caesar in Rome. Although having historical military leaders like these two over time this would lead to both of their demises. The differences between the two early nations was that Greece was really a democracy and Rome was more of a republic. Also you can see the leaders filled more of a military role than leaders from Greece. When think of leaders from Rome such as Julius and Augustus Caesar who both were very familiar with the battlefield. There were some leaders in Greece who commanded armies but it wasn’t like they had to when you think of leaders such as Solon who was more of a speaker or poet than a
In Greece, Athens undoubtedly had the geographic advantage over Sparta. Even though Sparta does have fertile soil to conduct much farming, Athens has trade to fall back on. For example, “Athens was at the center of an efficient trading system with other Greek city states. Trade was incredibly important for Athens, as it did not have the agricultural conditions to cultivate enough grain for its population” (Doc B). In this case, the location of Athens enabled them to trade often and also that they were in the middle of a reliable and efficient trade route, which let them get their grain that they needed. Another reason that Athens had so good trade along with a good education was that people came from all of greece to study and trade, for example,
Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, and Greece were all historical civilizations that made history the way it is today. The three civilizations differed in many different ways, but they were also quite similar in other aspects. The focus of survival, beliefs, daily life, and many other focuses connect the three civilizations.
As Greece reached the height of its prosperity Rome which lye slightly to the west slowly began its rise as a civilization. The Greeks centered their culture around Art and literature whereas opposed to the Romans who settled their culture upon warfare and leadership. Without planning, would rise very steadily as an empire. Shortly before Christ most of the surrounding cities and nations were at peace under Rome's rule.
Another difference in warfare was the way that the different regions treated their opponents after a victory. The Greeks would enslave and control a defeated people while the Romans would not treat a defeated nation as slaves, but would “invite” them to ally and basically become part of Rome. This was the case of the Sicilians after they were defeated during the first Punic War.
The Greeks were creative, loved literature, artistic, and lived to enjoying “life”. But the Romans were the complete opposite, they were hard workers, they lived under the thought of superstition and the majority of them were farmers. And little by little, the Romans started to adapt the ways of the Greeks and realized the benefits and eventually the Ancient Greece became known as the major influence on almost every aspect of the Roman Empire. But not only were the lifestyle adapted from the Greece culture to the Romans, but also the style of clothing was adapted. The Greek style of clothing included a rectangular sheet that was wrapped around the body and used pins to create different types of clothings. This type of idea made the Romans think that the Greeks ideas were better, which made the Romans also used this idea and even had the same name such as the tunic, the toga, and the chiton as the Greeks. Another cultural aspect which was adapted from Greece to the Romans was Greek. Latin was and is the main language of Rome, but Greek writing and the language was also used in Rome. Greek became a second language and was eventually taught in school alongside with Latin to young Roman children. Not only the writing and language itself but also tragic stories and myths were also adopted by
Greece, originally ruled by an oligarchy ("rule of the few"), operated under the premise that those selected to rule were selected based not upon birth but instead upon wealth. Eventually, however, Greek government became democratic. Rome, on the other hand, was a republic that elected its officials, and common citizens were not allowed as many opportunities as Athenians to participate in matters of the state. While Greece had branches of government to represent citizens, Rome implemented branches of government to represent different components of society. For example, Rome had authorities to supervise public works projects, administer justice, supervise recreational activities and conduct a census (text). Rome, who, like Greece, was a polytheistic society, also appointed a priest for life who was in charge of the entire state's religion.
Greece is a country united by its name, but divided by its ways. Although Sparta and Athens were both Greek cities, their societies were different. Sparta was focused on having a perfect military, whereas Athenian daily life revolved learning and knowledge. When Spartan boys were being trained for an army, Athenian boys were being trained for life. Both of these societies revolved around different government, education from when kids to teenagers, the responsibilities each individual had to keep their spot, and how women played a role throughout each city state.
The Greeks and the Romans, two completely different civilizations and yet so similar. They both had their different customs and traditions and may have been years apart, but they are the same, or as the same two different people can be. Both had the ability for greatness, and both were able to create a far reaching empire full of many different types of people.
The two ancient civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome were the best of the best during their time periods. Ancient Greece began around 2000 B.C. by the inhabitants known as the Mycenaean’s, followed by the Minoans. The Minoans built the foundation of Greece. The Roman Empire was founded around 753 B.C. by the two twins, Romulus and Remus. Romulus ended up killing Remus and built the city of Rome on one of seven rolling hills. Architecture was very important to both civilizations and they were always trying to out due the other. The architectural style of the Ancient Greeks and Romans was overall constructed and used differently.
Rome was not known to be an independent culture. Rather, they took and used ideas from other cultures, especially Greece, as their own. “Even after Rome conquered Greece in 146 BCE, Greece could be said to ‘rule’ Rome, at least culturally” (Sayre 180). Rome is thought to have ruled Greece after their conquering, but in fact, Greece ruled by influencing Rome in many different aspects of Roman society. Some of the most influential elements adopted from Greece culture include art and architecture, citizenship and government, education, and mythology.
Roman artwork is extremely intricate and diverse, however, a lot of what is referred to as Roman art can better be described by the cultures it conquered. The ancient Greeks were the most influential of these cultures, from their temples and sculptures, to their reliefs and paintings. Greece was the first culture to create major programs for sculpture, painting, and architecture. Many of the first Roman artists were of Greek descent as their artwork reflects the Classical and Hellenistic periods of ancient Greece. A lot of what is considered to be Roman artwork is criticized as being mere copies of Greek artwork since they modeled their forms and styles after the Greeks, but other cultures influenced the Romans as well, mainly the Etruscans,