In What Ways Were the Romans Heirs to the Greek Civilization?
Introduction
There is a consensus among scholars that the major influences of the Roman culture were the Greeks. Among the major proponents for this theory are authors, Roy Matthews, Dewitt Platt and Thomas Noble; and the renowned historian, Eugen Weber. In their book, ‘The Western Humanities, Volume 1: Beginnings through the Renaissance,’ Matthews, Platt and Noble developed the idea that Western culture, which developed from the Romans, was actually a product of the Hellenistic culture that dominated the Mediterranean region in the past (Matthews, Platt, & Noble, 2010). Similarly, in his video instructional series, ‘The Western Tradition,’ Eugen Weber presented convincing evidence that there was a deep connection between Greek and Roman culture, which could not be ignored. While Matthews, et al., and Weber agree that Roman culture was a product of the Hellenistic civilization, they differ in their approach of presenting evidence. Weber focused more on the theoretical relationship between the Greek and Roman culture while Matthews, Platt and Noble focus more on details; providing concrete examples of how the cultural inheritance that were originally developed by the Greeks were passed on to the Romans. Their ideas were further supported by most scholars and historians, which collectively asserts that Greek and Roman culture are deeply connected with each other.
The Greek influence on Roman culture runs deep into the fabric of the Roman society. In fact, the Hellenistic influence in the Italian peninsula, the home of the Roman civilization, can be traced back to its prehistory. Both Matthews et al., and Weber provides a background of how the Roman civilization came about by referencing to the rise of the Greek civilization in the region; implying that the rise of the Roman civilization was initiated along with the emergence of the Hellenistic civilization. Matthews, Platt and Noble’s account, however, were more extensive; providing a detailed approach on how the Roman culture emerged out of prehistory as they trace back Greek culture in the Archaic age (Matthews, Platt, & Noble, 2010). Matthews et al pointed out that Greek culture began to infiltrate Italian societies as early as the 1st millennium B.C., right after the decline of the Mycenaean civilization (Matthews, Platt, & Noble, 2010). During this time, the Greeks may have already developed a flourishing civilization, which enabled them to expand their influence in neighboring Italy. There is little doubt that such information is accurate since some scholars believe that human societies in Greece were already existent even during the Neolithic period (Martin, 1996, p.2). Permanent human settlements were already existent in Greece around 6,000 B.C., which was further improved when Indo-European invaders entered Greece with knowledge of about bronze making started the Aegean civilization around 3,000 B.C. (Martin, 1996, p.16; Marshall Cavendish, 2011, p.6). By 2,000 B.C., Greek civilization is, most likely, far more developed to have influenced its neighbors. As also observed by historian, J.B. Bury, “at the time when the kings of the Twelfth Dynasty were reigning in Egypt, Crete was a land of flourishing communities and was about to become, if it has not already become, a considerable sea power” (Bury, 1900, p.7). Matthews, Platt and Noble revealed in a more detailed approach how Greek civilization developed from prehistory, which Weber failed to mention in his account. Although Weber touched on the history of the Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamia as well as the development of other Indo-European societies, his account of Greek civilization in history is quite brief as compared to Matthews, Platt and Noble.
The Greek and Roman Ancestry
The Roman ancestry was of mixed descent. Around 500 B.C., the Italian Peninsula was inhabited by people of different ethnic and cultural background. At the heartland of Italy were the Italians; at the north were the Etruscans; at the west were the Iberians and Ligurians; and in the south were the Greeks and the Carthaginians (Boak, 1921, p.17). Two of the most influential among these people, however, were the Etruscans and the Greeks. The Etruscans are believed to have originated from the western shore of Italy and is believed to be the first people to occupy and establish a government north of the Italian peninsula. According to scholars, they began to build communities in the Italian Peninsula as early as 2,000 B.C. These communities developed into powerful city-states that reached its peak sometime between the 7th and 5th century B.C. The Etruscans, however, are not culturally different from the Greeks. In fact, some historians believe that the Etruscans and the Greeks are of similar descent. Accordingly, the Etruscans may have originally come from the Aegean Basin and have migrated and settled in the western shore of Italy (Boak, 1921, p.17). This common lineage between the Etruscans and the Greeks may have accounted for the strong cultural influence of the Greeks on Etruscan culture, particularly in politics. Just like the Greeks, the early Etruscans structure their government into city-states. Like the Greeks, each state operates in autonomy with no central government that binds them together. Moreover, the Etruscan states were not politically cohesive, which is comparable to the Greek states that were always competing against each other. At the height of their power, the Etruscans were able to control the North of Italy and exert their influence over the rulers of the Italian peninsula, but their power was limited because their city-states are politically fragmented.
Roman Culture as a Product of the Hellenic Culture
There is no dramatic transition of cultural ideas between the Greeks and the Romans. Most likely, the cultural exchanges between these two groups of people were gradual, but steady. Long before Rome came into power, there already exist a dynamic cultural interaction between the Greek and the Romans. Romans and Greeks were living side by side considering that the Greeks inhabited the southern part of the Italian Peninsula. These constant cultural exchanges, although slow and gradual, have a lasting impact to Rome. Being at the geographical center of the Italian Peninsula, Latin Italy is accessible to the sea-faring people of the Mediterranean, which means there must be a constant contact between Rome and the sea faring merchants from the Greek heartland. The city of Rome, in particular, is situated at the bank of the Tiber River, one of the principal rivers of Italy with navigable access towards its interior cities by the sea. Due to its strategic location, Rome became a city of commercial importance in the region, which may have attracted a lot of seafaring merchants in the Mediterranean, particularly, the Greeks. This constant contact between the early Romans and the Greeks accounts for the strong influence of the Hellenistic culture that emerged, first in Greece, and eventually spread out to the rest of the Mediterranean.
Major Greek Influences on Roman Civilization
The culture of classical Greece can be considered as some sort of cultural revolution that occurred around the Mediterranean region by which the Greeks were the pioneers. Although there exist an ethnic boundary between the Greeks and the Romans, the cultural tradition between these two groups of people are remarkably similar in almost all aspects. In a sense, the Romans did not inherit the Greek culture per se. Rather, it is more appropriate to say the Roman culture developed alongside the Greek culture wherein the latter was influenced by the former through assimilation. Among the major influences noted by Matthews et al., and Weber lies under philosophy, literature, religion, politics, architecture and the arts.
Philosophy. Both Weber and Matthews et al., believe that the Greeks were the major influences of Roman philosophical thought. Being the first to institutionalize education, Greece was also the center of Western philosophical and scientific thought during the time, making it the primary destination of scholars and philosophers. The Lyceum and the Academy in Athens were among the first learning institutions in the ancient world where in many Romans were educated. The philosophies of Greek scholars such as Aristotle and Plato were the major influences of Roman philosophical thought. Stoicism, Platonism and many other Greek philosophical disciplines, for instance, were cited by Matthews et al., as having a profound impact among Romans emperors (Matthews, Platt, & Noble, 2010).
Literature. The influence of Greece on Roman literature was clearly evident in the works of Roman poets. Aside from Virgil, who deliberately adapted the works of Homer, many notable Roman poets such as Horace and Ovid were great admirers of Greek literature. One particular reason for the strong Hellenistic influence on Roman literature is the common notion among poets wherein they consider Greek language as superior to the Latin (Matthews, Platt, & Noble, 2010). When it comes to writing history and poetry, even Roman poets use the Greek language, which may have contributed to the continuity and widespread use of Greek language even in Roman literature. One of the most widely adopted form of literature from the Greeks was the drama. In Ancient Greece, drama takes the form of tragedy which is centered on their reverence for their gods specifically their worship of the Greek god of theatre, Dionysus. The main focus of the Greek drama is to glorify humanity with its strength and weakness. At first, the dramas were written with tragic themes. Eventually, comedic themes were introduced, giving birth to the melodrama . The drama became the centerpiece of Greek and Roman entertainment.
Religion. Religion is one of the most recognizable influences of the Greeks on Roman culture. Weber provided a more focused argument regarding the influence of Greeks towards the Romans in his lectures as compared to Matthews et al. Such observation, however, is also shared by most scholars. There was, for instance, a clear imitation of the Greek mythology by Roman poets; the most notable of which were the works of Virgil on ‘Aeneid,’ which was patterned on Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. The Romans created their own version of Greek gods and goddesses with each Greek gods and goddesses having their own Latin counterpart. The cult of Cybele, which was a major religion of the Romans prior to the spread of Christianity, for instance, was an adaptation of the Greek worship of Rea, the mother of Zeus (Johnston, 2007, p.7). Other cults such as the cult of Mithras and Zoroastrianism were also introduced to the Romans through the Greeks who were first exposed to these cults (Boak, 1921, p.293).
Politics. Even before Rome became an empire, the Romans were already exposed to Greek political influences. The importance of ancient Greece’s political influence over Rome could not be undermined, which could be the reason why both Matthews et al., and Weber emphasized that Roman politics was pattered from the Greeks. The democratic form of government whose key feature is the selection of leader through an election was already practiced by the Athenians even before the time of Solon. This political ideology was also adopted by the Romans when they first emerged as a republic. The first Roman rulers modeled their political principles Greece’s democratic ideals by adopting a senate and a magistrate position in their government. Democracy, however, was limited because only aristocratic and prominent families can participate and hold government positions. Nevertheless, the democratic experiment, which was started by the Greeks, was memorialized as it was spread by the Roman to the rest of the western world.
Art and Architecture. Greek art is centered on religion. Most of Greek paintings and sculpture, for instance, have religious inspirations and are used as temple adornment. The Greeks were noted for their emphasis on beauty, balance, movement and freedom of expression; the same qualities in art that was adopted by the Romans. Greek inspired art were apparent in many Roman art works. The ‘contrapposto’ or the bending of the hip and leg that can be observed in Roman sculptures, for example, was of Greek origin . In Roman architecture, Greek influence is also significant. Roman structures, for instance, depict the architectural style of classical Greece wherein the use of the golden ratio is commonly observed. The golden ratio is equivalent to the ratio of 1 is to 1.618 wherein most Greek and Roman structures, including the Parthenon, were designed. Another significant feature of Greek architecture adopted by the Romans was the theatre. The word, ‘theater,’ originated from the Greek word ‘theatron,’ which means viewing instrument. The theater was the centerpiece of Greek entertainment and was built as early as 2,000 B.C. in the island of Crete . The firsts of these theaters were temporary. Eventually, the Greeks built permanent theaters on hillsides, allowing audiences to get a better view of the stage situated at the bottom of the hill. Adopting a similar design, the Romans further developed the Greek theaters into a more elaborate structure wherein they combined the auditorium, the stage and the backstage into one single unit.
Conclusion
As far as the influence of Greek towards Roman culture is concerned, the video presentation of Weber and the combined authorship of Matthews, Platt and Noble were similar in context. There is a consensus among these scholars that Roman culture was highly influenced by Greek culture in almost all respects. This belief is quite obvious as supported by many scholars and historians that studied Greek and Roman history. However, when examined closely, there are notable differences between Weber and Matthews et al., primarily in the presentation of historical evidence. Weber’s approach is more concise while Matthews et al., was more detailed. As far as Greek cultural contributions were concerned, there were some details mentioned by Matthews et al., which were not mentioned by Weber. Nevertheless, both Weber and Matthews et al., presented a compelling argument that the Greeks were, indeed, pioneers of the civilization adopted by the Romans.
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