How is ancient Rome different from ancient Greece?

Answer 1

Rome began as a city-state and expanded its territory to accommodate a growing population. As it expanded, it gained allies tributary to it, and as its power grew it was invited to intervene in external problems, which embroiled it in wars which expanded its territories outside Italy. Politically it was controlled by the oligarchic Senate with the checks and balances of popular assemblies. However this system broke down resulting civil wars, which was resolved by Augustus keeping up the facade of the Republic and having reserve powers which enabled him to rule autocratically without calling himself that.

Rome ended up, through good governance, providing stability in Europe and the Middle East for hundreds of years.

Egypt was a Monarchy with strong Theocratic support. While it from time to time expanded in the eastern Mediterranean, it was essentially the territory of the Nile River, where the Pharoah ruled and organised administrative support and services for the benefit of the people. Even the pyramid workers were free men, earning a living while the flood waters prevented them from working their plots.

With the successive conquest of Egypt by the Assyrians, Persians then Macedonians, a system of exploitation was built up, which reduced the small-farmers to serfs providing tax revenues for their foreign overlords. As Egypt became critical for the grain supply of the city of Rome, after he had defeated Antony and Cleopatra, Augustus reduced it to a province with a Roman governor.

Answer 2

Hardly anything was the same. They were two very different societies and cultures and had very different political structures. The Egyptians were an earlier civilisation. Even before Rome started to develop an empire, Egypt had come under the rule of the Greek dynasty of the Ptolemies.

Parallels between the Pharaohs and the Roman kings and emperors are also difficult. It was common for brothers and sister of the ruling dynasties to marry each other. In Rome this did not happen.

One thing which was similar was the fact that both had polytheistic religions (religions with many gods). However, the two religions were different.

Answer 3

There are many differences between the 2 ancient cultures.

1. Religion- Ancient Greeks supported gods such as Zeus, Poseidon, Hades etc. meanwhile Ancient Egyptians supported gods such as Isis, Ra, Osiris.

2. Trade- Ancient Egyptians used The Nile to make crops that they could use in trade meanwhile Ancient Greeks were more likely to make fine pottery or sell Olives/Olive Oil.

3. Location- Around Egypt is a sandy and dry desert climate meanwhile Greece is grassy and has many hills around it.

4. Wars- Ancient Egyptians tended to be very peaceful and didn't enter many conquering stages (they had a few that lasted a few hundred years in total) and were a unified country meanwhile Ancient Greece was a load of city states fighting for honor and glory and was never more than half unified.

There are many more.

Answer 4

Egyptians and Romans had different art and architecture. They had different attitudes to women, children and slaves. They had different foods. They had different gods.

Answer 5

Rome took over the Greek world, adopted much of its culture, and imposed its own government and military control on it.