History_103

HIS103 World Civilizations 1 (ABF1218C) Instructor: Lynne Marlowe Laurie Smith May 14, 2012 During the classical era, the Mediterranean basin was dominated by two enormously influential cultures: The Greeks and The Romans. The Greeks did not build a centralized state beyond the short empire of Alexander of Macedon, but they did serve a link to the Mediterranean and Black Sea. This was via of colonization, commerce and cultural interaction. The Romans, however, established a cosmopolitan empire that encompassed much of Europe and Northern Africa. For the Romans, a tight governmental structure, organized trade promoted the movement of people, goods and ideas throughout the empire. The Greeks and Romans were powerful in later influencing the Mediterranean, European and Southwest Asian cultures. These influences include, but are not limited to: The earliest form of democracy, founded in Athens. The contributions of literature in the forms of mythology, poetry, drama and essays. The philosophical contributions of Socrates, Plato and also Aristotle. Elaborate transportation and communication networks with sophisticated roads, sea lanes, connecting port cities and postal systems. The widespread of Stoicism and Christianity was part of the philosophical beliefs and values. The ancient Greeks and Romans both began their histories as city-states. The geographical structure of Greece, however, because of the irregular coastline and mountain terrains isolated the city-states from one another. The Romans were in the middle of the north-south plain bordered on the west by the sea and the east with the mountains. Rome was exposed to the migrations and invasion of the people from the Po River in the north and from Sicily in the south. The two primary ethics and cultural influences of Romans were determined by the geography. The first influence was of the Etruscans in the north and the second was the Greeks in the south. The difference between Greece and Rome was that the Greeks refused to make the city-states as an empire and any one city-state being dominated. The Romans brought other communities on the Italian peninsula under their control. Eventually these controlled people came to identify themselves as Romans. The success of the Roman Empire was because of their military powers and the second was because of their organizational, political and legal skills in extending their governance over the conquered people. Rome was forced by their army and generals, but this also caused the downfall of the empire. Greece, on the other hand was also united by force in their city-states. The invasion of the Mediterranean, and than by the Romans. The Greeks would eventually have the last laugh, because their learning and philosophy were far more sophisticated. It was advanced and it overwhelmed the Romans as they absorbed the culture of the Hellenistic east. The Byzantine Empire, an amalgam of Roman and Greek cultured centered in the city of Constantinople. The Greeks had conquered their conquerors. The Greek and Roman societies were the same in how they worshipped the same god and goddesses, although they had different names. For instance, Zeus was Greek and Jupiter was Roman. They were also ruled by superstitions spiritually. The Greeks and Romans also shared the same attitudes and fate. They believed things were meant to happen for a reason. They also believed in the same romantic values, such as soul mates, chance and destiny. The influence of both the Greeks and Romans are quite impressive. The intellectual architecture, primitive fighting and pleasurable pastimes are shared by both. Both brought cultural unity to much of Europe and established a basis for western states. References: Traditions and Encounters A Brief Global History, Bentley, J., Ziegler, H., Streets, H http://higher.mcgraw-hill/com/sites/0073534536/student Comparisons between the Ancient Greeks and Romans http://www2.sunnysuffolk.edu/westn/essaygreecrome.html