How Did Greek Culture Influence Roman Culture

After the Romans conquered the Greeks’ land, they became captivated by the depth of their culture. Believing it far exceeded their own, they adopted much of the Greeks’ culture. For example, the Greek influences on Roman religion date back far enough that the Romans base their foundation on the story of the Trojan War. Romans adopted a pantheon of gods and goddess. They simply applied their own Roman names to existing Greek deities. The Roman architecture also mimicked the Greek. For example, the Roman temple in Nîmes, France known as Maison Carrée stands like a miniature Greek shrine atop a high podium. Although they adopted the Greek architecture, they soon developed new construction techniques, using new materials and new designs. They …show more content…
However, there are still many differences between the two. Both countries are Mediterranean and in relatively close proximity, yet developed different social classes. Greece divided their social system into: slaves, freedmen, metics, citizens and women. In contrast, Rome’s society was only divided into four: freedmen, slaves, plebeians, and patricians. A noticeable difference in the social structure was that Greek women were considered to be less than slaves. On the other hand, Roman women were not treated as lesser individuals, a very advanced belief. They were considered citizens unless they were born into slavery. Another difference between the two cultures are their governments. Greece was originally ruled by kings; then an oligarchy; and then a democracy. Like, Greece, Rome was originally governed by kings. Then it became a republic whose key political players, often noble blood, were part of the Senate and the Assembly. Values differed between the two cultures as well. Greeks tended to focus their behaviors on the now, no planning on life after death. Whereas, the Romans believed if they were model citizens they could become Gods in the