Compare and Contrast Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome

To better understand the differences and similarities between these two civilizations, we will take the following topics as reference:

• Geographic location
• Language
• Religion
• Society
• Government
• Economy
• Art
• Contributions to humanity

Geographic location

Both Greece and Rome are Mediterranean countries. Both are bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and due to this, they share similar characteristics in terms of climate in their coastal areas. However, they present differences in other aspects, such as relief and proximity to the sea.

Ancient Greece arose on the Balkan Peninsula and is considered the cradle of Western civilization. It began to develop in the islands of the Aegean Sea, mainly in Crete, around the year 3,000 BC It had its heyday in Athens during the fifth century BC Most of the ancient Greek city-states were near or on the seashore and the mountain ranges served as natural boundaries.

The civilization of ancient Rome arose with the founding of Rome in 753 BC Its heyday was in the 2nd century BC Unlike Athens, most Roman settlements were located inland on the banks of the Tiber River and had no natural limits.

Language

The languages ​​of the Greek and Roman civilizations form, in large part, the basis of the various languages ​​we speak today.

ancient greece and greek

In ancient Greece, it is worth the redundancy, ancient Greek was spoken. Greek is believed to have come from the Indo-European immigrants who came from Asia. Around the year 2000 BC, a dialect of Indo-Greek made up of archaisms and new words, as well as terms from other Indo-European dialects, was already spoken. With trade, ancient Greek spread throughout Greece and part of it can be seen in the Linear B syllabary of Mycenaean origin.

From the year 1200 BC and subsequent years, mainly due to the Dorian invasion, ancient Greek began to divide into different dialects, among which the following stood out: Ionic-Attic, Arcadian-Cypriot, Aeolian and Dorian. In the eighth century B.C. C. the Phoenician alphabet was adopted, to which some modifications were made. This new alphabet replaced the Linear B syllabary, and in a way, marked the beginning of the Western literary tradition.

Ancient Rome and Latin

In ancient Rome another Indo-European language was spoken: Latin. It is estimated that this language appeared in the Italian peninsula around 1000 BC. During the height of Roman civilization it became the “language of power” and was used throughout the Roman Empire. With the expansion of Rome, Latin acquired greater importance and became the official language in the conquered territories.

Later, Latin gave rise to other European languages, called Romance languages, such as Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Catalan, among others. It also continued to be used in science, liturgy and politics, until the 19th century.

Although Latin was the official language of ancient Rome, Koine Greek, which was the common Greek of ancient Greece spoken during the reign of Alexander the Great, was also spoken there. In addition, other languages ​​such as Aramaic, Syriac, Coptic, Celtic and some Germanic languages ​​were spoken in the Empire.

Religion

Ancient Greece and the gods of Olympus

The Greek religion was polytheistic, that is, it was based on the veneration of several gods. These had human appearance but they were immortal, they possessed supernatural powers and also virtues and defects. They fed on ambrosia and nectar and each of the gods was attributed a special characteristic or talent.

The Greek gods lived on Mount Olympus and communicated through oracles or priestesses. People venerated them in temples, where they made offerings to them and sacrificed animals in their honor. The worshipers also asked the gods for favors and went to them to know their future.

The king of the gods was Zeus. In addition, Zeus reigned alongside other gods, making up the pantheon of the twelve Olympic gods, which also included some of his children and brothers: Hera, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hestia, Hermes, Poseidon and Demeter.

Ancient Rome and cults

In Ancient Rome, religion was also polytheistic, and was influenced by the religious rituals of other cultures, such as the Greek. In fact, it is common to associate the Roman gods with the Greek gods since they present quite similar characteristics. As in ancient Greece, the gods were worshiped in exchange for their protection and favors.

In addition, in ancient Rome the practice of religion was divided between domestic worship, that is, religious rituals of the home, and public worship:

• Domestic or private worship : the gods of everyday life were venerated, such as Nundina, goddess of birth, Educa and Pontina, gods of eating, Cunina, goddess of children, and other gods that protected children. smaller at each stage of their development, such as: Ossipago, Abeona, Locucio and Interduca. They also worshiped the lare gods who were the protectors of the family; to the penate gods, protectors of food, and to the manes gods, who were the spirits of the ancestors. The father of the family was the highest religious authority in the home.
• Public worship : It was closely related to politics. There were pontiffs who were in charge of carrying out the rituals. The highest pontiff was the emperor. The gods that belonged to the Roman public cult were Jupiter, Juno, Minerva and Mars. They were offered prayers, animal sacrifices, and other rituals.

Equivalences between Greek and Roman gods

Below is a list with the equivalencies between the Greek and Roman gods and other important characters from the mythology of both civilizations.

Society

ancient greece

Social classes

Both Greek and Roman society were profoundly unequal, an inequality that in turn underpinned the socio-economic structure. The social classes of Ancient Greece were:

• The free were the people who did not belong to anyone, usually the children of Athenian mothers and fathers. They could be slave owners. The free were divided, in turn, into:
  • Citizens : who were the minority; they could vote and hold public office. They had to pay taxes and serve in the army. Most of them were farmers or merchants.
  • Non-Citizens : They were called “metics” and were foreigners. They had no political rights and could not hold public office. They were generally artisans or merchants.
• Slaves had no rights or freedoms. Most were prisoners of war, debtors, kidnapped persons, or children of slave parents. Its living condition depended on its owner.

The role of women

Greek women had no political rights and depended on the men in their family: the father, the brothers or the husband. They could not carry out activities such as work or attend the Olympic games, nor could they leave their home. Rich women could be accompanied on certain occasions.

ancient rome

Social classes

The social classes of Ancient Rome were:

• The free ones that, in turn, were divided into:
  • citizens .
    • Patricians : they were the most privileged class. They descended from the founders of Rome and were the only ones with political rights. They also had great property and wealth.
    • Commoners : They were the majority of the population. Although they were independent citizens, they had no political rights.
    • Freedmen : They were the slaves who had been legally freed.
    • Clients : they were foreigners or refugees who were financially dependent on the patricians.
• Slaves were prisoners of war and lacked all rights. They did the worst jobs for life.

The role of women in Ancient Rome

Women had no political rights and were dependent on men. However, they could own and sell property. Although they were relegated to the home and family, they could become priestesses and devote their lives to religious rituals without having to marry or have children.

Government

Originally, the government of Ancient Greece was a monarchy. Later, the system became an oligarchy, that is, power was held by a few people. Subsequently, democracy arose, the system in which citizens voted for their rulers, and which is still used today.

The government of Ancient Rome had four periods: Monarchy, Republic, Principality, and the Dominate or Dominus . The first king was Romulus, one of the founders of Rome, together with his brother Remus. In addition, there was the senate, which advised the king.

Later, Ancient Rome became a Republic, and its form of government included magistrates and tribunes. At the time of the Roman Empire the government was in charge of different “princes” or emperors. They usually came from the army.

Finally, during the Dominated period, power was centered in the emperors until the fall of the Roman Empire. Later, the government returned to being a monarchy.

Economy

The economy in ancient Greece was based on intensive agriculture, trade and crafts. In the Hellenistic period the use of currency and banks were introduced and the great merchants appeared.

The main Greek agricultural products were the vine, olive trees and cereals such as wheat. Due to the geographical location of Greece, at one point the agricultural production was not enough, and the products began to be obtained from other places, through maritime trade. Livestock farming was based mainly on raising goats and sheep, and to a lesser extent, pigs, cows, horses and donkeys. Ceramic crafts were also important products of Greek culture.

The development of Greek merchant fleets allowed the exchange of different products with Egypt, Italy, Libya and the Aegean islands.

Ancient Rome was also based on agricultural activities. However, another important activity was mining. The main mining resources were iron, gold, copper, silver and marble. The craftsmen carried out all kinds of work and excelled in carpentry, blacksmithing and textile production.

Land and sea trade was also one of the most important economic activities during the Roman Empire.

Art

Ancient Greece and the ideals of beauty

The art of ancient Greece was characterized by being oriented towards the search for “ideal beauty”. The artists tried to recreate ideal objects or figures or imitated nature.

• Painting : Greek painters and sculptors acquired their techniques from their fathers, mentors, or patrons. Ceramic painting, such as amphoras, vessels and other utensils, had geometric styles and later also included the human figure and mythological representations. Scenes were usually arranged in two parallel horizontal stripes and painted in bright, contrasting colors.
• Sculpture : At first, Greek sculptures were made with malleable materials such as clay, wax, or ivory. Later he began to use the stone. For the most part, they were representations of boys, called kouros , and girls, or korés , who were characterized by having an ideal beauty. Through the study of proportions, the Greeks stood out for faithfully representing the human anatomy , achieving very realistic and expressive works.
• Architecture: it was characterized by the development of different styles, mainly in the construction of temples. These consisted of a rectangular room, which was accessed through a portico, which in turn was supported by four columns. First, materials such as adobe and wood were used, and later, stone. This is how the styles arose:
  • Doric : they were low and had thick columns with fluted shafts. The capital was simple and the columns supported a system of cornices.
  • Ionian : They were larger temples and had a double row of columns. The capital had a volute molding and the friezes were decorated with more reliefs.
  • Corinthian : it was a style even more developed and refined, with columns of acanthus leaf capitals.

art in ancient rome

Roman art had a great influence on Greek art. However, it was also noted for some special features.

• Painting : most of the painting that is preserved from ancient Rome is mural and comes from Pompeii. There were several styles: sometimes the walls were painted imitating the veins of the marble, and in others, external spaces were simulated, as if the wall did not exist. Other murals included solid colors and details on them. Another style included scenes with small marble mosaics.
• Sculpture : adopted the Greek style and focused on portraits and reliefs. The sculptures were realistic and over time had different levels of expressiveness. Most of the pieces represented emperors, important soldiers or gods. The sculptures were often used as decorations for triumphal arches, columns, and tombs.
• Architecture : it was based on the construction of structures for public use. It was characterized by the use of the semicircular arch, the domes and the vaults. The use of materials such as bricks and concrete was common. Roman architectural works also included decorations from the Greek architectural orders: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Among the Roman creations themselves, the amphitheatres, basilicas, circuses, baths and aqueducts stood out.

Contributions to humanity

The contributions of these two great civilizations were numerous and valuable. In addition to art and politics, they excelled in:

• Philosophy : the Greek philosophers are considered as the fathers of Philosophy. They tried to rationally explain the different phenomena of nature and the universe, emotions, thought and other matters. Some of the most important Greek philosophers were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Roman philosophers, such as Seneca, Lucretius, and Cicero, focused more on the philosophical study of ethics, morality, and behavior.
• Mathematics : the Greeks also distinguished themselves in the field of Geometry and Arithmetic and their contributions are part of modern Mathematics. Some of the most important Greek mathematicians were Pythagoras, Archimedes, Euclid, and Thales of Miletus. We owe the use of the “Roman numerals” to the Romans: I, V, X, C, L, D, M.
• Medicine : the Greeks made incredible contributions in Physiology and Anatomy. The Greek physician Hippocrates is considered the father of Medicine and the famous “Hippocratic Oath” is owed to him by doctors today.
• Astronomy – The Greeks developed solar and lunar calendars. The Greek astronomer Aristarchus of Samos was the first to suggest that the center of the universe was the sun and not the Earth. Other prominent Greek astronomers included Aristotle and Hipparchus of Nicaea.

Bibliography

• Gómez Espelosín, FJ Introduction to ancient Greece. (2014). Spain. Editorial Alliance.
• Lane Fox, R. The Classical World: The Epic of Greece and Rome . (2020). Spain. Planet.
• Captivating History. Ancient Rome: A Fascinating Introduction to the Roman Republic, the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, and the Byzantine Empire . (2019). Spain. Captivating History.
• Editorial Grudemi (2020). Ancient Greece. Retrieved from Encyclopedia of History .
• Editorial Grudemi (2018). Ancient Rome . Retrieved from Encyclopedia of History .