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Rome beat the Greeks on the battlefield, yet Greek culture in Rome went on to shape almost every part of Roman life, from gods and temples to schooling and poetry.<\/strong><\/p>\n The two worlds met long before any war. For centuries, Greek colonies such as Cumae, Paestum and Syracuse had traded with Rome, so the Romans had lived next to Hellenic culture for more than 300 years.<\/p>\n As Rome took over the Italian peninsula and absorbed those colonies, the mixing only deepened. That long contact helps explain why Greek culture in Rome took such firm root.<\/p>\n Taking Greece was neither quick nor easy. Rome first moved east during the Second Punic War. Philip V of Macedon was weighing an alliance with Carthage, and that threat started the Macedonian Wars<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read more: Disney Develops Medusa Film Based on Greek Mythology<\/p>\n Fighting then dragged on from 214 BC to 146 BC. In the end, Rome defeated the Achaean League, an alliance of Greek city-states, and Lucius Mummius destroyed Corinth<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over the following century, Rome gradually reorganised the peninsula into the new province of Achaea.<\/p>\n Usually, Rome took hostages and wealth from a conquered land, installed a military presence and imposed a new political system. It then borrowed only a few things, such as an art style or a useful deity like Isis or Mithras.<\/p>\n Greece, however, was different. Here Greek culture in Rome spread much further, from religion and literature to architecture.<\/p>\n Religion shows Greek culture in Rome most clearly. Roman religion blended local Etruscan traditions with Greek myths, so most Roman gods have a Greek counterpart.<\/p>\n Zeus, king of the gods, became Jupiter, while Aphrodite became Venus and Hephaestus became Vulcan. Even so, the Roman deities tended to be more warlike and rigid.<\/p>\n Architecture tells a similar story. Rome adopted the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders, although Greek builders favoured marble for great monuments while the Romans often used cement and brick.<\/p>\n Art carried the Greco-Roman blend even further. Romans carried many Greek originals home to decorate public spaces and private houses. They also paid large sums for copies of famous statues, often changing hairstyles and clothing to look more Roman.<\/p>\n For the Roman elite, education meant Greek. A well-rounded knowledge of Greek literature and language marked a person as upper class, and educated Greeks came to Rome to teach the next generation.<\/p>\n Wealthy families also displayed collections of books and art to show visitors their learning. Latin stayed the language of daily life, but anyone who knew Greek rose in social standing.<\/p>\n Cicero, one of the best-known figures of the Republic, openly championed Greek culture in Rome. He drew heavily on Plato, even basing his works De re publica<\/em> and De legibus<\/em> on Plato\u2019s Republic<\/em> and Laws<\/em>.<\/p>\n Aristotle, Epicurus and Zeno also shaped Roman thinkers. Stoicism in particular won over many in the elite, since it could encourage civic duty and support imperial expansion.<\/p>\nGreek culture in Rome before the wars<\/em><\/h3>\n
How Rome conquered Greece<\/em><\/h3>\n
Gods, temples and statues<\/em><\/h3>\n
Greek culture in Rome as a status symbol<\/em><\/h3>\n