About the Roman and Greek Cultures

ROMAN
AND
GREEK
CULTURES

By
Misty Andrews
Topics In
Cultural Studies
SID#
2265664

Abstract:
This paper entails about the differences and some similarities about the Roman and
Greek cultures. In this paper it talks about Roman and Greek government, architecture, arts, religion, and the philosophy. In all aspects there wasn’t to many differences between them. However, there were lots of similarities. They shared and learned a lot from each other, even though they were different cultures.

Roman Government | Greek Government | The Romans were democracy and a republic. They got many ideas about government from the Greeks. Over all the Romans state was republic ran by one man the chief magistrates, but this only lasted until the first century B.C. Before the Romans decided they didn’t like only one man having all the power, so they decided to split this power into three branches which were executive, legislative, and judicial branch. They like this way better because the laws weren’t determined by only one man. | Greeks were the one’s who invented democracy government. Before democracy government was invented Greece was ruled by a king. The people of Greece didn’t like this, they wanted to have law and order, passion for freedom, and abhorred corruption. Being ruled by a king this was not possible, only by being a democracy was it possible. So the Greek aristocrats replaced the king and started up the democracy. So as to give the people what they wanted. | Roman Architecture | Greek Architecture | Romans were famous for their advancement in architecture and engineering. The Romans first style of building was post and lintel, but then they advanced their architecture methods an done columns and arches, with this method Romans buildings and temples were bigger. Throughout the Roman history their architects used three types of columns, they were Doric, Ionic, and Cornithian styles. They also used arches as well for their great support, power to amaze, and glorify. They also used the sculpture idea from Greeks, but the difference in the Greek sculpture and the Romans was the Romans used marble not Bronze. | The Greeks believed all things must be enjoyed in moderation. The Greeks used Doric and Ionic styles for their building structures, which they still used to this day. The Greeks are more known for their sculpting abilities than their architecture abilities. The Greeks perfected their sculpture abilities to show human perfection and human beauty. Their sculptures were all made of bronze unlike the Romans their were marble. | Roman ArtRoman art is defined as much more than art of the city of Rome, their art is about the Roman civilization for more than 1,000 years. They showed this by the way their temples, colosseum, paintings, and sculptures were made. They still use this in today’s art. | Greek ArtThe Greeks were more into making and seeing beauty in everything. They were known for magnificent art work and their literary monuments. The Greeks passed down the knowledge of their arts from one civilization to another. They did this by the way they did their sculptures and their paintings which are still used in today’s art. | Roman Religion | Greek Religion | The Romans worshipped many gods and goddesses they believed that the gods and goddesses influenced all the natural phenomena. The Romans were strongly affected by the gods and goddesses, they worshipped them everyday. In their major life cycle events, such as births, marriages, and even deaths, were all celebrated by religious rituals and ceremonies. . | The Greeks also worshipped many gods and goddesses, they also believed that the gods and goddesses influenced all the natural phenomena. Like the Romans the Greeks were strongly affected by the gods and goddesses, they worshipped them everyday as well. The Greeks came up with a name for group of twelve gods and goddesses they called them Olympian gods. The gods and goddesses were lead by Zeus and his wife Hera. Like the Romans the Greeks major life cycle events of births, marriages, and even deaths , were all celebrated by religious rituals, and ceremonies. | Roman PhilosophyIn Roman philosophy it focused on the objective inquiry, asking unbiased questions that favor no particular outcome. The Romans had questions such as, what good life meant? How nature was constructed? In their philosophy, which is the system of thinking took over the discussion of these questions. Romans thought philosophy was the revolutionary in the history of human thought. It relied on logical reasoning, it also established the first scientific vocabulary, and generally laid the foundation for a lot of the future western philosophy. | Greek PhilosophyIn Greek philosophy it also focused on objective inquiry, asking unbiased question that favor no particular outcome. Like the Romans the Greek also had the same questions, what good life meant? How nature was constructed? In their philosophy, which is also the system of thinking took over the discussion of these questions. Greeks thought also that philosophy was the revolutionary in the human thought. It relied on logical reasoning, it also established the first scientific vocabulary, and generally laid the foundation for a lot of the future western philosophy. |

References:
M.U.S.E. , Course Material, www.RomanandGreekgovernment.gov , www.RomanandGreekarchitecture.gov , www.RomanandGreekarts.gov , www.RomanandGreekreligion.gov and www.RomanandGreekphilosophy.gov

References: M.U.S.E. , Course Material, www.RomanandGreekgovernment.gov , www.RomanandGreekarchitecture.gov , www.RomanandGreekarts.gov , www.RomanandGreekreligion.gov and www.RomanandGreekphilosophy.gov