Comparing and Contrasting Greece and Rome free essay sample

The Roman and Greek societies were both very influential and innovative. Furthermore, the two civilizations lasted for many centuries and expanded greatly. Thus, the Roman and Greek societies had various differences and similarities along the lines of religion, government and intellectual achievements. Religion-wise, Rome had borrowed Greek’s polytheistic religion, only altering deities’ names. On the government front, Rome combined the governments of several Greek city-states and made a republic. Lastly, Rome achieved many architectural feats, especially its aqueducts, due to Grecian intellectual innovation in development of arches. The Greek Roman civilizations both had strong roots in religion. Greece, being the predecessor of the Roman society, undoubtedly influenced Roman religion. In fact, the Ancient Roman religion was nearly identical to Greece’s polytheistic religion, except the names of the deities were different. For example, Zeus, the Grecian god of sky and thunder, was the equivalent of the Roman god Jupiter. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparing and Contrasting Greece and Rome or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Roman Empire’s tireless expansion, however, lead to the introduction of new religions through cultural diffusion. Conquering Judea revealed the religion of Judaism to the Romans, and later, through a chain of events, the religion of Christianity was established within the Empire. Christianity was a monotheistic religion and it challenged Rome’s polytheistic religion and Rome’s government, since numerous deities were symbols of state. It is evident that Rome, in the beginning, used Greece’s religion, but through the passage of time, had three different religions, two of which still prosper today. In the aspect of government, Rome combined the most relevant features of the monarchy, aristocracy and democracy to form a new form of government: the republic. In Ancient Greece, city-states implemented the aforementioned forms of government, but not at once. For example, Athens was a democracy while Sparta was an oligarchy, and Mycenae was a monarchy. So, Rome, influenced by Greece’s forms of government, managed to create what Greece never had: one unified, single form of government. Albeit Greece’s mountainous, separated terrain was the reason for the divided government, Rome’s accomplishment stands nevertheless. Nearing Rome’s collapse, on the other hand, infighting arose amongst commandants due to soldiers pledging allegiance to their commandant and not their state. Therefore, it is noted that a unified, central government is not the key to a unified, central state. Like in the case of religion, Rome, due cultural diffusion, used the Grecian city-state’s form of government to make the republic. In the realm of intellectual achievements, Roman innovations were especially grand in the area of architecture. Adhering to the Grecian architectural standards of strict dimensions and proportions, Romans created building feats, notably the Pantheon and the Colosseum and aqueducts. They did this through improvising the arch and the dome, and began using concrete in the 1st century BCE. Where Greece developed the ziggurat, columns and ramps, Romans aggrandized and combined those designs to create such buildings like the Pantheon. Also, the usage of concrete helped reinforce Pax Romana, for the substantial durability of the roads allowed for easy transportation. Roman aqueducts were architectural marvels as well, bringing water into the city and to the farms. In Greece, the wheel, the sail and the plow were developed, in addition to astronomical and mathematical discoveries like Earth’s diameter and the 360 degrees of a circle. The development of the plow was especially crucial to Rome, for it was an agricultural society. Rome, in the topic of religion, faced a growing religion called Christianity within its empire, something which Greece didn’t have. Government-wise, Rome was a republic while Greece, as a whole, was mostly focused on democratic principles. Finally, Grecians developed the 360 degrees in a circle, something that was crucial to development of the arch and essentially, much of Roman architecture. To conclude, an influential, relational analogy can be established between the similarities of Greece and its predecessor Sumer, and between Rome and its predecessor Greece. All three of those civilizations were unique, aspired to conquer, trade and negotiate with neighboring lands and ultimately, still affect the present life through the actions they did, millennia ago, like Constantine’s decision to end the persecution of Christians.