The Later Roman Republic part 3
The Influence of the Greek East part 1
In Roman society there was a tradition of hostility to Greek influence as seen in the writings of Cato the Elder who was critical of Greek doctors, philosophers etc. Marius claimed he that he would not learn the language of a subject people, this was postering on both of theirs part, Cato wrote in Greek and Marius probably could understand the language.
Greek culture permeated all aspects of aristocratic life: Cicero quotes in Greek to friends in private letters.
General history paints the Romans as passive recipient of Greek culture but the reality was much more complex, a mixture of assimilation, adaptation and innovation.
Contact
a) Magna Graecia cities of S Italy
b) Traditionally Rome sent ambassadors to Athens in the 5th century BC to study her constitution. Real contact started in the 3rd century BC, flourished in the 2nd century BC and exploded in 1st century BC
War was another way the Romans were in contact with the Greek east, during the 2nd century BC there were a series of successful generals campaigning in Greece for example Flaminius, Marcus Fulvius Nobilior and Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus.
Even after the defeat of Macedon and Corinth, the wars still contiued - revolt of Aristonicus; Mithridatic wars (Sulla, Lucullus, Pompey), wealth, booty etc. but also ideas e.g. Sulla used the columns of the temple of Olympian Zeus in the reconstruction of the Capitoline, Pompey brought back drawings of the Mythilene theatre for his new theatre in Rome; Greek-style games (Marcus Fulvius)
Romans -> Greek East
- Official: embassies (e.g. Marius in 90s), administrative (provincial governors and staffs)
- Unofficial: study tours, education, ‘holidays’
- Cicero and Pompey visited Posidonius in Rhodes
Greeks to Rome
- captives cf. Polybius
- philosophers, teachers; 155 BC Athenian embassy to Rome: Carneades, Diogenes, Critolaus; Panaetius, friend of Scipio Aemilianus and Laelius – lasting impact
- Cicero taught by Poseidonius and Phraedrus
- See Plutarch Cato, 22
Areas of interaction
Education:
- education overwhelmingly Greek inspired; first secondary schools in Latin did not appear until early 1st century BC
- Taught at primary and secondary level by Greek teachers. Syllabus overwhelmingly Greek or Greek inspired
- Designed for upper class public life with emphasis on oratory, rhetoric, philosophy; education at home complemented by travel abroad to university centres of the ancient world (Athens, Alexandria)
Art and architecture:
- Vast amount of objects d’art from the east: aid to gracious living and indication of status – ‘requisitioned’/plunder. Wide scale trade in luxury goods from the east.
- Houses combined the typical arrangement of Greek houses with traditional Roman arrangements
- Greek planning ideas and architectural adornments to Roman buildings: e.g. Pompey’s theatre designed on the lines of the theatre of Mytilene; Sulla used the columns of the temple of Olympian Zeus at Athens in the reconstruction of the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline after the destruction by fire
The Influence of the Greek East part 1
‘Captive Greece captured her savage conqueror and brought ‘artes’ to rustic Latium’ Horace
In Roman society there was a tradition of hostility to Greek influence as seen in the writings of Cato the Elder who was critical of Greek doctors, philosophers etc. Marius claimed he that he would not learn the language of a subject people, this was postering on both of theirs part, Cato wrote in Greek and Marius probably could understand the language.
Greek culture permeated all aspects of aristocratic life: Cicero quotes in Greek to friends in private letters.
General history paints the Romans as passive recipient of Greek culture but the reality was much more complex, a mixture of assimilation, adaptation and innovation.
Contact
a) Magna Graecia cities of S Italy
b) Traditionally Rome sent ambassadors to Athens in the 5th century BC to study her constitution. Real contact started in the 3rd century BC, flourished in the 2nd century BC and exploded in 1st century BC
War was another way the Romans were in contact with the Greek east, during the 2nd century BC there were a series of successful generals campaigning in Greece for example Flaminius, Marcus Fulvius Nobilior and Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus.
Even after the defeat of Macedon and Corinth, the wars still contiued - revolt of Aristonicus; Mithridatic wars (Sulla, Lucullus, Pompey), wealth, booty etc. but also ideas e.g. Sulla used the columns of the temple of Olympian Zeus in the reconstruction of the Capitoline, Pompey brought back drawings of the Mythilene theatre for his new theatre in Rome; Greek-style games (Marcus Fulvius)
Romans -> Greek East
- Official: embassies (e.g. Marius in 90s), administrative (provincial governors and staffs)
- Unofficial: study tours, education, ‘holidays’
A Senator in Egypt
Tebtunis Papyrus No. 33 (=Select Papyri, Vol. II, No. 416)
Adapted from LCL
Hermias to Horus, greeting. Below is a copy of the letter to Asclepiades. Take care thats it instructions are followed. Goodbye. Year 5, Xandicus 17, Mecheir 17.
To Asclepiades. Lucius Memmius, a Roman senator, who occupies a position of great dignity and honor, is sailing up from Alexandria to Arinoite Nome to see the sights. Let him be recieved with special magnificence: see to it that the guestchambers are prepared at the proper spots and the riverbank landing places to them completed, that the gifts mentioned below are presented to him at the landing place, and that the furniture of the gueschamber, the titbits for Petesuhus and the crocodiles, the conviences for viewing the Labyrinth, and the resquisite sacrificial offerings and supplies are provided, and in general take the greatest pains in everything to see that the vistor is satisfied and display the utmost zeal...[the rest is mutilated or lost.]
- Cicero and Pompey visited Posidonius in Rhodes
Greeks to Rome
- captives cf. Polybius
- philosophers, teachers; 155 BC Athenian embassy to Rome: Carneades, Diogenes, Critolaus; Panaetius, friend of Scipio Aemilianus and Laelius – lasting impact
- Cicero taught by Poseidonius and Phraedrus
- See Plutarch Cato, 22
Areas of interaction
Education:
- education overwhelmingly Greek inspired; first secondary schools in Latin did not appear until early 1st century BC
- Taught at primary and secondary level by Greek teachers. Syllabus overwhelmingly Greek or Greek inspired
- Designed for upper class public life with emphasis on oratory, rhetoric, philosophy; education at home complemented by travel abroad to university centres of the ancient world (Athens, Alexandria)
Art and architecture:
- Vast amount of objects d’art from the east: aid to gracious living and indication of status – ‘requisitioned’/plunder. Wide scale trade in luxury goods from the east.
- Houses combined the typical arrangement of Greek houses with traditional Roman arrangements
- Greek planning ideas and architectural adornments to Roman buildings: e.g. Pompey’s theatre designed on the lines of the theatre of Mytilene; Sulla used the columns of the temple of Olympian Zeus at Athens in the reconstruction of the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline after the destruction by fire
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