Were Greeks and Romans enemies

Answer 1

Some Greek states fought against Rome and some of them were Roman allies. The Greeks did not have a unified state. They were divided into a number of kingdoms and city-states. The kingdom of Macedon was the largest and dominant state in Mainland Greece. The kingdoms of Epirus were on north-western Greece. The kingdoms of Pergamon and Bithynia were in western Turkey. Some of the Greek islands, such as Rhodes, were independent states. Some of the city-states formed leagues which were military alliances, such as the Aetolian League (in central Greece) and the Achaean League in the Peloponnese (the peninsula in the south of Greece).

Rome fought four Macedonian Wars against the kingdom of Macedon. In the first of these wars Pergamon, Rhodes, the Aetolian League and the cities of Sparta, Elis and Messenia fought alongside the Romans as allies. The Achaean League fought alongside Macedon. In the Second War Pergamon, Rhodes, the Aetolian League and Athens were allies of Rome. No other Greek state fought alongside Macedon. In the third war only Pergamon fought alongside the Romans and no Greek state fought alongside Macedon. Rome and Macedon fought the fourth war on their own.

There was also the Roman-Syrian War when Antiochus III the Great tried to take over Turkey and Greece. The Aetolian League, which had been an ally of Rome in the first two Macedonian wars, turned against Rome and sided with Antiochus. The Athamanians, a tribe in western-central Greece, also sided with Antiochus. Pergamon, Rhodes, the Achaean League and even Macedon sided with Rome

After the Third Macedonian War, Rome annexed Macedon. The fourth of these wars was about putting down a rebellion in Macedon. After this the Achaean league rose against Rome. It was defeated and Rome decided to annex the whole of mainland Greece. Both the kingdom of Pergamon and the kingdom of Bithynia were bequeathed to Rome by their last kings, who did not have any heirs.

Answer 2

The Romans did not hate the Greeks, far from it. The Roman elites looked up to the Greeks. Their education was both in Latin and Greek and they were fluent in Greek. The highest stage in their education was a stay in Greece to study Greek philosophy. The earliest educators in Rome were Greeks. In Rome there were Greek libraries as well as Latin ones. The Romans adopted some Greek gods and linked their gods to the Greek ones. They also absorbed much of Greek mythology. Roman architecture and sculpture were based on Greek models, hence the term Greco-Roman art, and Greek artists were highly praised in Rome.

Answer 3

Some of the diehards like Cato the Elder were obsessive on the old Roman ways; this was shared by the ordinary Roman who didn't have the time, money or interest to indulge in Greek ways. However a considerble number of the upper class could afford to be, admired Greek culture, and were called Philhellenes (phil = friendly, lover, hellene = Greek). They absorbed the culture, theatre, and their artwork - even to the extent of thoroughly looting Greek statues and other artwork.

Emperor Nero even competed in the Olympic Games, introducing a new prize for lute playing, naturally taking out first prize himself, whilst Hadrian built several new public buildings at Athens to help restore its decaying beauty.

Although Roman citizenship was liberally graned to Gauls and Spanish provincials, it was rare for Greeks to be given it unless they provided special service to a Roman proconsul. Paul of Tarsus inherited Roman citizenship from his father, who must have done something extra-special for one of the Roman governors.

Even though many upper class Romans were philhellene, they generally despised Greeks as easybeats, and had Greek slaves in their households, but often these were tutors for their children's education. The main body of Roman citizens were too impecunious and to busy getting on with survival and their own local culture to have any interest in Greek culture.

Answer 4

Yes they did!