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The Romans were so influenced by Greek culture because many who immigrated to Italy were Greek and so brought their religion and culture to Italy and developed it mixed with the previous settlers.
A classic example/myth of this is the story of Romulus and Remus.
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∙ 6y ago
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∙ 11y agoThe Romans looked up to Greek culture. Greek culture spread throughout the Middle East in the 3rd century BC and had sped into Italy even long before this.
The Greeks established colonies (settlements) in southern Italy in the 8th and 7th century BC. Being a more advanced civilisation, their arrival had a big impact on the Italic peoples they came in contact with during the archaic (early) period. It led to the adoption and adaptation of the western Greek alphabet, Greek motifs for pottery decoration and Greek architectural styles. Etruscan civilisation arose out of trade with and influence by these Greeks in a process which had been called the orientalising process. Recent archaeological evidence has shown that the archaic Latins were also involved in this process and that there was influence from the Greeks of Cumae (a Greek city near Naples) as well as the Etruscans. In the 6th century BC the Romans started using the books of the Sibylline, oracles from Greece, some of whom lived in Italy. During the Second Punic War they 'imported' a Greek goddess because the Sibyllines said that with this Rome could defeat Carthage.
Greek influence on the Romans continued past the archaic period. By the time they conquered mainland Greece , many elite men in Rome had already became Hellenised (absorbed Greek culture). In the classical period the elite received a Greek education and spoke Greek as well as Latin. Some went to Greece to study philosophy.
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∙ 7y agoTheir upper class liked to affect Greek culture as a mark of snobbery. They also liked to pillage Greek artefacts for display at home, and have Greek slaves a tutors for their children.
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Who did the Romans get most of their ideas from?
A major source of ideas was the Greeks. The Romans were deeply influenced by them. Greek influence started early on in the history of the Romans as the Greeks established settlements in southern Italy and Sicily. In these early days, the Romans adopted some Greek gods and myths and the book of the Sibylline of Cumae, who were Greek oracles in Cumae, a Greek city near Naples. When the Romans conquered the Greek city of Tarentum in southern Italy, a Greek educator moved to Rome and established the model for education in Rome. Studying Greek became part of the education of elite men, who became fluent in this language and used it often. In this period the Romans also adopted Greek drama and comedy for theatre plays. This laid the foundations for the development of Latin literature. When the Romans got in contact with mainland Greece, Greek influenced increased further. They adopted Greek sports and Greek medicine. They also adopted and adapted Greek Hellenistic sculpture. The two main Greek schools of philosophy, Stoicism and Epicureanism became popular among the Roman elite. The Romans were influenced by Greek astronomy and astrology. They also adopted Greek siege machines for warfare and developed them to a more sophisticated level.
How are greek culture and roman culture alike?
Greek culture were alike in Religion. Both religions were polytheistic. For the rest, the Romans acquired similarities with the greeks though the great influence the latter exerted on them. The Romans were deeply influenced by the Greeks and the Roman elites looked up to them. The first professional teachers in Rome were Greeks from southern Italy and education was modelled on that of the Greeks. The children of the rich received an education in both Latin and Greek and were fluent in Greek. The pinnacle of their education was a stay in Greece to study Greek philosophy. The Romans had Greek libraries as well as Latin libraries. They adopted the Epicurean and the Stoic schools of Greek philosophy. Their architecture and sculpture were modelled on Greek styles. The influence of Greek mythology came through the absorption of elements of Greek religion. Greek influence started very early on in Roman history. The Greeks established colonies (settlements) in southern Italy in the 8th and 7th century BC. Being a more advanced civilisation, their arrival had a big impact on all the Italic peoples they came in contact with during the archaic (early) period. This led to the adoption and adaptation of the western Greek alphabet by all Italic peoples, including the Latins (the Romans were Latins). Greek motifs for pottery decoration and Greek architectural styles were adopted by the Etruscans. Etruscan civilisation arose out of trade with and influence by these Greeks in what has been called the orientalising period. Recent archaeological evidence has shown that the archaic Latins were also involved in this process and that there was influence by the Greeks of Cumae (a Greek city near Naples) as well as the Etruscans. Already the 6th century BC the Romans started using the books of the Sibyls who were Greek oracles, some of whom lived in the mentioned Greek city of Cumae near Naples. They also adopted the Greek god Apollo, who was an oracular god (that is, he was the god of the oracles) and built the Temple of Apollo Medicus (the doctor) in in 431 BC. Apollo's son, who mediated Apollo's association with medicine and healing, was also adopted. The Senate was instructed to build a temple in his honour by the Sybils in 293 BC. The Romans also procured a statue of him from Greece. The Romans adopted the Greek twin gods Castor and Pollux and the mythology associated with them by the late 5th century. They turned Heracles, the Greek mythological hero (whom they called Hercules) into a god because he was said to have killed Cacus, a fire-breathing giant who was terrorising the Roman countryside. During the Second Punic War (218-202 BC) they 'imported' Cybele (whom they called Magna Mater, Great Mother) because Sibyls said that with this Rome could defeat Carthage. Besides adopting some Greek gods, at one point the Romans linked their gods to the Greek gods and their associated mythologies. The Romans adopted Greek columns for their temples and porticoes and the three orders (Doric, Ionic and Corinthian) the Greeks used to style them. They also developed composite orders which were a mixture of these orders. With contact with mainland Greece, there was also influence from this part of the Greek world. From Augustus onwards, the Romans modelled their statues on the Hellenistic ones. They made copies of statues by the great classical and Hellenistic sculptors of Greece so that they could model theirs on these artists. They adopted Greek medicine and Greek sports. They adopted and improved on the Greek cranes and ballista, a crossbow-like catapult. Latin tragedies and comedies and theatre were based on the Greek ones. Roman theatre architecture was inspired by that of the Greeks. However, whilst the seating of Greek theatres were always built on hillsides, the Romans also built theatres with their own foundations which could be built on flat land.
Why did the Romans borrow so many ideas from the Greeks?
The Romans were deeply influenced by the Greeks and the Roman elites looked up to them. Their education was in Greek as well as in Latin and they spoke fluently. Some went to Greece to study Greek philosophy. Their education was modelled on that of the Greeks and they had Greek libraries as well as Latin libraries The Romans adopted the Epicurean and the Stoic schools of Greek philosophy. Their architecture and sculpture were modelled on Greek styles. The influence of Greek mythology came through the absorption of elements of Greek religion. Greek influence started very early on in Roman history. The Greeks established colonies (settlements) in southern Italy in the 8th and 7th century BC. Being a more advanced civilisation, their arrival had a big impact on all the Italic peoples they came in contact with during the archaic (early) period. This led to the adoption and adaptation of the western Greek alphabet by all Italic peoples, including the Latins (the Romans were Latins). Greek motifs for pottery decoration and Greek architectural styles were adopted by the Etruscans. Etruscan civilisation arose out of trade with and influence by these Greeks in what has been called the orientalising period. Recent archaeological evidence has shown that the archaic Latins were also involved in this process and that there was influenced by the Greeks of Cumae (a Greek city near Naples) as well as the Etruscans. Already the 6th century BC the Romans started using the books of the Sibylline who were Greek oracles, some of whom lived in Cumae in Italy. They also adopted the Greek god Apollo, who was an oracular god (that is he was the god of the oracles) his son Asclepius, who mediated Apollo's association with medicine and healing, and the mythology linked with these two gods. They also adopted the Greek twin gods Castor and Pollux and the mythology associated with them by the late 5th century. The Romans turned Heracles, the Greek mythological hero (whom they called Hercules) into a god because he was said to have killed Cacus, a fire-breathing giant who was terrorising the Roman countryside and founded an altar near the city during his 10th labour. During the Second Punic War (218-202 BC) they 'imported' Cybele (whom they called Magna Mater, Great Mother) a Greek goddess because the books sibylline oracles said that with this Rome could defeat Carthage. Besides adopting some Greek gods, at one point the Romans linked their gods to the Greek gods and their associated mythologies.
What did ancient Romans believe in?
They believed in the same gods as the greeks, except they had different names. Zeus was Jupiter, Posiden was Neptune, Hades was Pluto, Hera was Juno, Hermes was Mercury, Aphrodite was Venus, Ares was Mars. Dionysis was Bachus or something like that, Apollo was Apollo, Athena was Minerva, Hestia was Vesta, Hephestus was Vulcan.Romans believed in different gods. Initially they were not personified but after the contact of Greeks they adapted parts of Greek mythology. Jupiter was the Greek equivalent of Zeus, Mars - Ares, Neptune - Poseidon. Firstly Christians were punished and unaccepted in the Roman culture. Following 3 centuries this religion spread in Rome thus causing to become main religion of Romans.
What empire lasted almost 1000 years after splitting from the western roman empire?
For the Romans it was the Roman Empire. This is how the Romans called it, they had no other terms. Historians have invented the terms Eastern Roman Empire for the eastern part and Western Roman Empire for the western part. Byzantine Empire has been coined in reference to the eastern part of the empire after the fall of the west. The word Byzantine is derived from Byzantium, the Greek city which was later turned into Constantinople. It had been chosen to highlight the fact that within just over a century after the fall of the west it assumed a Greek character. Greek replaced Latin as the official language of this empire in 620.
Did the Romans copy Greece in culture?
They copied some stuff but not the complete culture.Answer:More accurately, they assimilated Greek culture as Greece became part of the Empire.
Why do greek gods and goddess have roman names too?
The Greek Gods and Goddesses have Roman counterparts because when the Roman civilization was formed, they adopted Greece's deities. They simply renamed them and edited them to suit their civilization.
Did Romans value religion?
Absolutely. It was a big part of their everyday lives. They adopted the entire Greek pantheon and made them their own. yes
What influenece did the Greeks have on the Romans?
The ancient Greek culture became part of Roman culture. Romans admired the philosophy, poetry, and the prose of the ancient Greeks. The architecture in Athens for example had an influence on Roman architecture. Greek tutors even as slaves were teachers of the aristocratic Romans. The early Roman army used the Greek phalanx for a time. Most upper class Romans could speak Greek as well as Latin.
Who did the Romans get most of their ideas from?
A major source of ideas was the Greeks. The Romans were deeply influenced by them. Greek influence started early on in the history of the Romans as the Greeks established settlements in southern Italy and Sicily. In these early days, the Romans adopted some Greek gods and myths and the book of the Sibylline of Cumae, who were Greek oracles in Cumae, a Greek city near Naples. When the Romans conquered the Greek city of Tarentum in southern Italy, a Greek educator moved to Rome and established the model for education in Rome. Studying Greek became part of the education of elite men, who became fluent in this language and used it often. In this period the Romans also adopted Greek drama and comedy for theatre plays. This laid the foundations for the development of Latin literature. When the Romans got in contact with mainland Greece, Greek influenced increased further. They adopted Greek sports and Greek medicine. They also adopted and adapted Greek Hellenistic sculpture. The two main Greek schools of philosophy, Stoicism and Epicureanism became popular among the Roman elite. The Romans were influenced by Greek astronomy and astrology. They also adopted Greek siege machines for warfare and developed them to a more sophisticated level.
What customs did the Romans adopt from the Etruscan?
The Etruscans are an important part of roman history because the Romans adopted many customs from them. Examples include the arch and the layout of the temple in Roman architecture, the Etruscan alphabet (adopted from the Greeks) used to write Latin, the reading of the future by looking at the entrails of animals, the art of bronze making, and very importantly, some aspects of Roman government. The Romans were also influenced greatly by the Greek culture, which can be seen in their architecture, sculpture, science, and literature.
What customs did the Romans adopt from the Etruscan's?
The Etruscans are an important part of roman history because the Romans adopted many customs from them. Examples include the arch and the layout of the temple in Roman architecture, the Etruscan alphabet (adopted from the Greeks) used to write Latin, the reading of the future by looking at the entrails of animals, the art of bronze making, and very importantly, some aspects of Roman government. The Romans were also influenced greatly by the Greek culture, which can be seen in their architecture, sculpture, science, and literature.
What customes did the Romans adopt from the Etruscan?
The Etruscans are an important part of roman history because the Romans adopted many customs from them. Examples include the arch and the layout of the temple in Roman architecture, the Etruscan alphabet (adopted from the Greeks) used to write Latin, the reading of the future by looking at the entrails of animals, the art of bronze making, and very importantly, some aspects of Roman government. The Romans were also influenced greatly by the Greek culture, which can be seen in their architecture, sculpture, science, and literature.
Why can many mythological characters be referred to by either Greek or Roman names?
The Greek myths are older than the roman. When the Romans came in contact with Greek culture they loved every part of it and applied much of the Greek myths to their own gods.
How did Romans learn about Greek culture?
You could say that the Romans learned about Greek culture by absorption. There were many Greek colonies in southern Italy including Sicily where the Romans had contact. They also gained possession of these colonies by conquest, just as they gained possession of mainland Greece itself.
Is Greek mythology a big part in the Greek culture?
Yes.
Why was the fall of Rome a factor in the decline of the influence of Greek culture?
The fall of the western part of the Roman Empire was a factor in the decline in the influence of Greek culture in western Europe. The Romans were deeply Hellenised (influenced by the Greeks). Their art became Greco-Roman and they adopted Greek medicine and two schools of Greek philosophy. After the fall of the western part of the empire Christian western Europeans begun to look on the Romans as pagans and rejected Roman culture and through this knowledge of Greek culture also disappeared. This did only apply to the eastern part of the Roman Empire. It was not affected by the invasions by the Germanic peoples which led to the fall of the west and continued to exist for nearly 1,000 years. Historians use the term Byzantine Empire to indicate the eastern part after the fall of the western part. The people in question did not know this term and called their empire Roman Empire. After the fall of the west, this part of the empire became Greek in character. It preserved ancient Greek learning. When Constantinople (the Byzantine capital) fell to the Turks in the 15th century, Byzantine scholars fled to Italy and reintroduced ancient Greek learning in western Europe.
