Italy – Greek Diaspora History
Greek Influence - Rome
How Did Greek Culture Influence the Development of Roman Civilization?
The Roman civilization and subsequent empire had a lasting impact on western culture, which has continued to this day. But how did Greek culture influence the development of Roman civilization?
The Romans were exposed to Greek culture early on in the development of their civilization through interactions with the Greek colonies in Southern Italy, then known as Magna Graecia or Greater Greece. Growing an admiration for the Greeks, they chose to adopt, adapt, and expand upon many aspects of Greek culture leading to the saying “Rome may have conquered Greece, but the Greek culture has conquered Rome”.
In this article, we will focus on the period between the 5th Century BC and the 3rd Century AD, and explore how the Greek culture influenced the development of Roman civilization in:
- Religion and Mythology
- Government and Law
- Architecture and Engineering
- Language and Literature
- Education
- Philosophy
- Music
- Art
- Military
Greek Culture’s Influence on the Development of Roman Religion and Mythology
The ancient Greek religion and mythology was an aspect of the culture that was adopted by the Romans. Most Roman gods are borrowed from Greek mythology and given Latin names. Both sets of Gods are said to reside on Mount Olympus in Greece. The main difference, was that the Greek gods were based on human and physical forms and traits. Roman gods on the other hand were named after objects rather than human personality traits and thus often didn’t have a physical appearance or even their gender specified.
The Greek & Roman Olympian Gods
| Greek Gods | Roman Gods | Functions and attributes |
| Zeus | Jupiter | King of the gods and the god of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, and justice. |
| Hera | Juno | Queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage, and women. |
| Poseidon | Neptune | God of the sea, water, storms, earthquakes, and horses. |
| Hermes | Mercury | Messenger of the gods and god of travel, commerce, communication, and diplomacy. |
| Aphrodite | Venus | Goddess of love, pleasure, passion, fertility, and beauty. |
| Athena | Minerva | Goddess of wisdom, reason, literature, and strategic warfare. |
| Apollo | Apollo | God of light, the sun, philosophy, arts, and medicine. |
| Ares | Mars | God of war, violence, bloodshed, and masculinity. |
| Artemis | Diana | Goddess of hunting, the wilderness, virginity, and childbirth. |
| Demeter | Ceres | Goddess of the harvest, agriculture, and nature. |
| Dionysus | Bacchus | God of wine, the grape vine, festivity, and resurrection. |
| Hephaestus | Vulcan | God of fire, the forge, craftsmanship, and volcanoes. |
| Hestia | Vesta | Goddess of the hearth, home, and family. |
Greek Culture’s Influence on the Development of Roman Government and Law
In mid 5th Century BC, the Romans sent a delegation to Athens to copy out the laws of Solon, and to other Greek cities to find out about their legislation. This resulted in the first important piece of Roman law – the Twelve Tables. Additionally, one of Rome’s most important contributions to modern law was the process of applying the scientific methods of Greek philosophy to the subject of law.
Greek Culture’s Influence on the Development of Roman Architecture and Engineering
Architecture is one aspect of Greek culture that the Romans adopted but also expanded upon. They used the ancient Greek architectural styles like Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The Romans however, used new materials and technology such as concrete. The new architectural designs the Romans developed were the arch and dome. The main difference was that the columns had now become decorative features of buildings as opposed to structural requirements.
Greek Culture’s Influence on the Development of Roman Language and Literature
By the time Alexander the Great had established his Hellenistic Empire, Greek had become the common language of the Eastern Mediterranean and into Asia Minor. Taking into account that Magna Graecia (Southern Italy) already spoke Greek, this meant that the majority of the lands conquered by the Romans were Greek speaking. It is said that the Romans even changed their language so that it was in line with the rules of rhetoric as set forth by the Greeks, which is why Latin doesn’t have double negatives in its grammar.
Many educated Romans spoke Greek, with Greek becoming one of the two official languages of the Roman Empire, the other of course being Latin. Romans also adopted Greek literature, with a strong influence evident in the works of playwrights such as Plautus and Terence.
Greek Culture’s Influence on the Development of Roman Education
Throughout the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire, if any citizen wished to reach the highest levels of education, they attended the schools in Greece.
Greek Culture’s Influence on the Development of Roman Philosophy
Marcus Tulius Cicero, one of Rome’s most famous philosophers and politicians, was one of the first to translate many Greek philosophy texts from Greek to Latin. The Romans also adopted the Greek philosophy of Stoicism, through the philosopher Panaetius.
Greek thought and philosophy was rigorously adopted by academics and philosophers in Rome including Cicero, Epictetus, Seneca, and the Epicureans.
Greek Culture’s Influence on the Development of Roman Music
In contrast to Greek culture, music was not highly esteemed in the Roman Republic and not a requirement in education. This gradually changed in the Roman Empire.
The Romans adopted the Greek method of ‘enchiriadic notation’ to record their music and tuned their instruments to Greek modes. They also adopted most Greek instruments including the lyre, kithara, and lute.
Greek Culture’s Influence on the Development of Roman Art
Roman artists admired and adopted Greek artistic techniques, in particular when crafting sculptures. In fact, many of the Greek sculptures in museums today are Roman copies.
Pliny, Rome’s most important historian of the arts, stated that nearly all the forms of art were advanced in Greek culture, and in some cases, more advanced than in Rome.
Greek Culture’s Influence on the Development of Roman Military
The Romans sought Greek military support early on, with Spartan soldiers often called up to assist Roman legions in their battles against the Parthian Empire. Julius Caesar and his general, Mark Antony, were also known to train their legions in the Spartan manner.
Caesar and Augustus, had great admiration for Alexander the Great and during their visits to Alexandria, they were known to pay their respects to the Greek general at his tomb. It is even rumored that Caesar wept by a statue of Alexander, feeling embarrassed that Alexander had accomplished so much more at a younger age than Caesar.
The ballista (from the Greek word ballistra, meaning crossbow) originated in Greece and would become a tool that was improved upon by the Romans. They added a number of metal components which made the ballista lighter and easier to assemble, as well as improving its accuracy and power.
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