Briefly, describe the essential features of Greek and Roman society.
The historical allusion of the ancient Greeks and the Roman is one of the illustrious histories of the world. It is critical to highlight that the unity exhibited in the epochs of the early Greeks was unparalleled. The society was choreographed in ways that uphold the integrity of the society members and unified by their culture. Given the history, the Greek society had homogeneous characteristics that had them speak the same language. The language enabled the society to auger well and understands one another. In this respect of their common language, it was easy to communicate and do business. During these early days, few people accumulated land and also had influence in the society. The unity of the Greeks was also enhanced by having the same religion. It was necessary for the identification in the society. Their culture was also common thus making them socially compatible. During the early times, the sports united the Greeks and every four years, the Greeks were sent to Olympics games to compete with other societies and bring honor to their people.
Despite their cultural unity, there were visible divisions along political lines as many political groups that formed numerous independent city-states. The states were virtually called poleis. The presence of the various states meant relentless political altercations as every city protected their territory by every available mean. It was during this time that the unity could not be seen among the Greek cities. Every city opted to remain independent, and any attempt to gain control of external was met with fierce defense by the occupants of the city. The historical background of the city-states draws from the building of a city along acropolis. In this part, the public buildings, the chief’s temple, and city’s treasury were all located. The city involved series of economic activities that enabled it to reach serve its people with the necessities for livelihood. There were productions of small workshops. The workshops were operated by family members, and others used the slaves. During the production era, a workshop in Athens was said to have several workers that mostly consisted of slaves who were the main workforce. There were several trade activities taking place in Agora, which was the Rialto. The city eventually outgrew its supply of water prompting the supply to be done from the nearby hills. The society was primarily built near the coastal area. Several features of the society made it thrive in the face of enemies from outside.
Agriculture
The Greeks were agricultural people, and their returns were primarily agricultural. The Greeks cultivated grains, olives, and vines. They also kept domestic animals, mainly cattle, sheep, and even goats. There were characteristically smaller but the land owner had huge tracks in which they worked using slaves as the human capital. The shortage of land then developed into a serious problem that spelled doom for the Greek ancient. Social tensions built up between the poor and the rich due to the scarcity of land while the rich owned huge tracks. As a result, Athens rose to democracy while there were fiercest of clashes in other cities within the Greek cities as many expressed their disgust and dissatisfaction with the land owners and the social struggles it brought.
Trade
It was the final resort of the Greek due to struggles with farming. After the land scarcity had become a real problem, the families had to find ways to sustain their livelihoods. As a result, the city-states sent several people to other cities to conduct trade. The trade ties were developed. Huge cities like Athens were essentially able to feed its large populations on inter-city trade. It formed the cornerstone of the development that later took place in the Greek society.
Family
These societies were thriving in patronages the upper social class gained control, of the society. Both the societies were family heads ruled the society and the man often posed as the head. During the time, both the societies did not have priority for women thus, the unwanted children were dumped. Wealthy families used slaves to breastfeed their babies. The women were under the authority of the father as many people could find it very easy to divorce. In both the societies, male children were mainly preferred to female babies. Most female babies would live under the protection of the parents and law enforcement.
Religion
The Roman and Greek societies were a religious society and believed in the prevalence of the spirits. The issue of divinity was critical to the governance of the societies. Similarly, the Roman society believed in the idols thus they worshiped several gods. The societies were rigid in their pursuit of control and power thus leading to the breakdown of the empire. Many adopted modern avenues and approaches to life were thereby becoming.
In your opinion, was there an improvement in society during the time we have covered?
There were improvements due to technological advancements that began to emerge. The society improved as modernization emerged. The development of technological methods of agriculture enabled them to increase their harvests thus creating the desired growth. The infrastructure was improved and trade grew leading to improved lifestyle.
Does the social structure of the Roman Empire have any advantages over society as found in Greek poleis?
The Roman structure had several advantages over the Greek society. The city-states in Greek had so many wrangles due to vested interest and internal tensions. The issues of land ownership by the upper social class were also instrumental of the social clashes. The structure of governance in Roman society ensured there was unity as people fought for common goals that were to protect and expand their territories. The unity enabled them to form formidable force to fight enemies.
