Greco-Roman relations in classical antiquity

Greeks had settled in Southern Italy and Sicily since the 8th century BC. That way, the Italian tribes came into contact with Greek culture very early and they were influenced by it. Alphabet, measures, weights and coins, many gods and cults as well as the building of temples were derived from the Greeks.

The Romans took possession of Greek culture a second time during the conquest of Greece and the "Hellenistic countries" (countries that had been marked by Greek culture and language) in the 2nd and 1st century BC. The Romans, who had beaten Carthago but were still a society of peasants, saw in Hellenistic cities that daily life can contain so much more luxury. Formerly scarcely-ornamented houses got columns, statues, mosaics on the ground, tapestries and paintings on the walls. One didn't have dinner while sitting anymore, but while lying, according to Greek custom.

The Romans gained from the Greek influence also in different areas: trade, banking, administration, art, literature, philosophy and nature science. In the last century BC it was a must for every rich young man to study in Athens or Rhodos and perfect his knowledge of rhetorics at the huge philosopher schools. It was also a must to speak Greek as well as one's mother tongue in Rome.

There were some voices who resisted against this Greek influence on all parts of life. For example, Cato the Elder prophesied Rome's demise, he considered everything Greek to be suspect, he even mistrusted Greek doctors, claiming that they only wanted to poison Romans. Indeed the Greeks would have every reason to hate the Romans, who had devastated their home, robbed temples and public buildings, decimated the population and brought many Greeks to Rome as slaves. Aemilius Paullus, the winner of the battle of Pydna in Greece 168 BC, is said to have sold 150000(!) Greeks to Rome as slaves all by himself.

In the imperial time, these events were long gone. Romans had pulled up to the Greeks in terms of culture because of the Greeks who voluntarily or involuntarily lived in Rome. Greek cities like Ephesos or Athens flourished during the long time of peace (Pax Romana) more than ever. Because of the public wellbeing, there was no revolt against Roman rule, quite to the contrary, it was seen as something positive. And considering the Greek slaves: that had been common amongst Greek cities already.