Cultural Differences In Ancient Rome And The High Middle Ages

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Throughout the course of history of Western civilization, many different tribes or people groups have culturally influenced one another without direct interaction. Even though they existed in somewhat different time periods, the Greco Roman strain and the Germanic cultural strain effected one another through the Greco Roman belief in gloria, virtus, and family ties, as well as the Germanic practice of upholding culture as a social contract and seeking glory for the honoring of others.
As the war and power struggle from the Early Middle Ages died away, the High Middle Ages gave way to trade and commerce that flowed freely throughout Europe. Along with the spread of goods came the spread of ideas (High Middle Ages). Two people groups in particular, the Germanic northern European tribes, and the Greco Roman people group, shared practices that were more than similarities, as they each directly influenced each other. For example, the Greco Roman people, specifically the men, strictly followed the virtue of “virtus”. Virtus is the Roman virtue of manliness, courage, and bravery all combined into one. Men pursued it for the sake of another virtue called “gloria”, which is defined as honor, reputation, or standing (Aeneid pt. 2). As the
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In addition, both cultures began to treat women with more and more respect, as they too bought into the concept of not disgracing not only the family, but also their husbands (Rome and Religion). In The Rape of Lucretia, all the men take bets as to whose wife is the best. Where as all the other mens wife were found preparing for a night of partying, Lucretia was found at home working on her spinning (Livy). The aspect of both cultures family reverence affected each other individually through the stories told and the interactions the two people groups had with each other. After interacting with each other, the other people groups reverence for family was clearly

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