Roman and Greek Cultures

Unit 1 – Introduction to humanities – Greek and Roman Culture
AIU Online – HUMA214
June 19, 2013

Abstract
This is an informative and comparative essay that will analyze two cultures: Greece and Rome. It will describe the similarities and differences in both cultures in terms of art, government, history, social class, etc.

INTRODUCTION
There are many ways that Greek and Roman cultures can be alike; depending on the early part or later part. Also there are many ways they can be very different; based on women’s position in society, government, art culture and geography. Even though traditions of culture were passed on from the Greeks to the Romans, the separate styles can be compared. At the time of the Hellenistic cities being conquered, the Romans obliged at the way the Greeks were doing things. The Romans seemed to take a special liking to the way the Greeks were living. This is how much of the culture of Greece became inherited by Rome. The following is an explanation of the similarities as well as differences between the two cultures; Greece and Rome. (Comparison between Ancient Greece and Rome, Nd).
HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY
As the histories of both cultures began as city-states, Greece’s city-states were surrounded as well as separated from each other by mountains and an irregular coastline while Rome was in the center of the Po River, Sicily, mountains and the sea. This made Rome very vulnerable to invasions and migrations that had great influence of Roman culture in these early civilizations. Based on this geographical fact, Roman culture was influenced greatly; first by the Etruscans from north of Rome and then by the Greeks south of Rome. At the time of Roman independence, the civilization of Greece spread over the Mediterranean basin. The Greeks were strict about the city-states being separate and exclusive due their geographical locations. The polis in Greece did not allow a Greek empire to be built at the same time extending citizenship to the fullest stopped domination of one city-state over another; unlike Rome. (Comparison between Ancient Greece and Rome, Nd).
In the early history of Greece, the Athenians tried to create a Greek empire overtaken by the Delian League, but this attempt failed with the Peloponnesian Wars. Rome was quite different. It took control over the Italian peninsula by force and then offered Roman citizenship to the defeated people. Soon after, identifying themselves as Roman people, the people of the Italian peninsula partook in the Punic Wars that soon began the building of the Roman Empire. Unlike Greece, the two main elements of the success of this was a military valor and skill and the skill at converting defeated people into empire allies. The building of the empire was not the initial intention, however, this bravery set Rome aside of their neighborly threats; Italian peninsula, Carthage, Macedonia, etc. While the Greek government was more of a democracy, Roman government was built by force; so much so that the Roman army became larger than its republic. The force that was responsible for the creation of the Roman Empire was the same force that was responsible for the deterioration of the empire; changed into an imperial government. The Greeks were not at all bothered by this until after the invasion of the Macedonians. (Comparison between Ancient Greece and Rome, Nd).
Uniting the Greek city-states was not easy had to be done by force. Although this may seem unfair to the Greek, they would still end up the better culture due to its sophistication and advancement. The Romans were so overtaken and absorbed by how upscale and cultivated of wide experience the Greek culture was, it was finally decided that the conquerors had been defeated by the conquered. (Comparison between Ancient Greece and Rome, Nd).
THE ROLE OF WOMEN
The role of women and their freedom in the ancient Greek society was the same to that of ancient Rome in the early civilizations. In ancient Greece, the women did not have a place in society; they were owned by their fathers and after marriage, their husbands; even after then their fathers could very well ask for their daughters back. They were always secluded in areas alone and had to have chaperones when they went into the public. Women had to get their father’s or husband’s say-so for pretty much everything. They could not go and come without permission or even say hello or speak to anyone, or a neighbor without permission. In Greek culture woman had no freedom and no rights and this was the way it was for both the early and later times of Greece. In the beginning this was the same for Rome, but as time passed on, women positions and authorities began to change in the Roman culture. (Gill, 2010).
The Roman Republic permitted women to go shopping, engage in friendly conversations, go to the temple, etc. without permission. As more time passed, women’s rights and freedom grew in the Roman culture. The Roman Empire permitted women to own land, run a business, work, free slaves, make a will and inherit riches. In terms of citizenship, ancient Rome only permitted adult men that were free to be citizens; this too will have soon changed. Even though women were not considered citizens in Rome, they still were given much more freedom and rights than that of the Greek culture. Women in the Roman Empire, the later time of Rome, were known for their loyalty, piety, their ability to keep balance in the home and marrying one man; all of which they were deeply valued for. (Gill, 2010).
RELIGION
In terms of religion, Greek and Roman culture were governed by many of the same aspects. Their belief in gods that ruled the universe was pretty much similar; only the gods had different names. Much of the Roman mythology was borrowed from that of the Greeks. There was the belief that gods and goddesses ruled the sun, the earth, the water; there were gods and goddesses of love, fertility, war, peace, etc. In Greece much of the gods’ nature were based on personality traits of humans. The rank of the gods and goddesses were determined by what they ruled; Zeus ruled the sky, Poseidon ruled the sea, Hades ruled the underworld, etc. The only difference in the ancient Roman religion was that the names of the gods and goddesses were connected more to objects as opposed to personality traits of humans. Although there were many similarities, there did eventually come some distinctive differences in the Greek and Roman religious beliefs in the later Greek and Roman societies. (Greek Gods vs. Roman Gods, 2009).
In terms of the afterlife, the Greeks believed that more importance was on the way one lived their physical life while the Romans believed that deeds done on Earth would lead to a place and rewards in heaven with the gods. Another distinctive difference would be the gender specifications as far as femininity and masculinity of the personality trait in the ancient Greek culture religion. For example, the goddess of love was a woman while the god of war was a man in the Greek religious mythology. The Roman religion was not at all gender specific which led to the non-characterization of the individuals. While the Greek gods’ physical forms portrayed beauty and physical enhancement, the Roman gods were not represented in physical form, but in the people’s imagination. However, for every Greek god or goddess, there was a Roman counterpart. For instance, in ancient Greek, the King of the Gods was Zeus whose counterpart was Jupiter; for the Greek god of love, there was Eros whose Roman counterpart was Cupid and so on. (Greek Gods vs. Roman Gods, 2009).
In the later part of the Roman culture, Christianity began to make its influence deeply among the people in the 2nd century; first among the poorer citizens and then to the entire State. The reason for this was that the kings ruling Rome in those times wanted worship for themselves and often times Christians who refused to “perform Caesar worship” were persecuted (Yuen & Ngo, 2005). At first Christianity in Rome was looked at as disloyalty and disrespect to the rulers of Rome. The fourth century was ended with the elimination of all religions found to be non-Christian as well as persecution of non-Christians. In fact, Christianity, by the end of the fourth century was named the official state religion by way of suppressing the freedom of religion as well. (Yuen & Ngo, 2005).
ART/ARCHITECTURE
Greek and Roman art were similar in many ways as well as different in others. As it is said that Greek art greatly influenced Roman art due to the obvious imitation of it through the Roman style, the Romans preferred a more realistic approach as opposed to the idealistic approach by the Greeks. However, the art of both cultures portrayed the things and ideas that were important to them. Philosophy as well as nature was often explored in Greek art while Roman art expressed in a more political way; spreading political ideas, thoughts and causes, allegations, facts, etc. Greek art was consumed with precision and order, proportion and mathematics, shapes and perfection. Later on, the fascination with nature led to the portrayal of the human body, religion and the connection humans had to the heavens. The advancement of human knowledge in Greek art was very noticeable. Mathematical formulas and ratios were often used to paint, sculpt and build. On the contrary, Roman art was a way of keeping control and used in propaganda for the Roman authorities of those times. Roman art ideas were indeed borrowed from the Greeks, but were portrayed with more feeling, facial expressions and human emotions as opposed to an ideal appearance. Roman art used “an individual’s natural physical appearance” (Montgomery, 2008). However, Roman art did portray the same usage of mathematical proportions and guidance as Greek art. Works done by Romans lacked originality and were dominated by political beliefs while Greek works’ main purpose was intellectualism. (Montgomery, 2008).
CONCLUSION
Many differences can be found amongst these two cultures just the same as many similarities can be found. Greek culture is the superior culture as it was mention many times how the Romans imitated Greek culture but formed it in their own style. Many of the characteristics of the Greeks can be seen in the Roman culture by investigating their beliefs and religion, art, social status as well as the role of women to a certain extent. Greek culture has highly influenced the culture adopted by the Romans, however still remained much more classical and intellectual than Roman culture.
PART 2 1. How did the Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean cultures contribute to Greeks’ sense of themselves? Since ancient Greece has been part of both the East and Western parts of Europe and so on throughout its history, it has developed a sense of its own identity through all influences of dominance from its surroundings. 2. What is a polis and how did polies shape Greek culture? A polis is a city-state in ancient Greece. They helped to sustain the system of order. 3. What was imperial Rome? It was what was left of the city and/or government after the Roman army took over and defeated the Roman Republic. 4. What values were retained from the Etruscans and Roman republic roots? The distribution of power, the power of life and death as well as the importance of a system of government.

References
Montgomery, Jane. (2008). Comparing ancient Roman and Greek art. Helium, Inc.: Art History. Retrieved from: http://www.helium.com/items/955679-Art-History
Yuen, Kelly & Ngo, Carrie. (2005). Influence of religion in Greece & Rome. Retrieved from: http://www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/history/16th/kellycarrie.html
“Greek Gods vs. Roman Gods”. (2009). Diffen contributors. Retrieved from: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Greek_Gods_vs_Roman_Gods
Gill, N.S. (2010). Women in Greece and Rome – differences between the positions of women in Greece and Rome. Ancient History. Retrieved from: http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/greecevsrome/ss/GreecevsRome_5.htm
“Comparison between Ancient Greece and Rome”. (Nd). Retrieved from: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/westn/Essaygreecrome.html

References: Montgomery, Jane. (2008). Comparing ancient Roman and Greek art. Helium, Inc.: Art History. Retrieved from: http://www.helium.com/items/955679-Art-History Yuen, Kelly & Ngo, Carrie. (2005). Influence of religion in Greece & Rome. Retrieved from: http://www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/history/16th/kellycarrie.html “Greek Gods vs. Roman Gods”. (2009). Diffen contributors. Retrieved from: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Greek_Gods_vs_Roman_Gods Gill, N.S. (2010). Women in Greece and Rome – differences between the positions of women in Greece and Rome. Ancient History. Retrieved from: http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/greecevsrome/ss/GreecevsRome_5.htm “Comparison between Ancient Greece and Rome”. (Nd). Retrieved from: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/westn/Essaygreecrome.html