Before 146 BC, the Romans cunningly allowed the Greeks to be independent, but conquered Corinth a

Greek-city-state and eventually the whole of Greece after some of them joined the Carthaginians in their
battle with the Romans. “When Greece was conquered by Rome, Rome was civilized by Greece” (Morey,
1901). Greek culture’s influenced the development of so many Roman aspects and cultures such as
religion, architecture, language, education, philosophy, music, art and military.

The ancient Greek religion was adopted by the Romans and given Latin names though the Greek gods
were based on human and physical forms while the Roman gods based on objects.

"In mid 5th century BC, the Romans sent a delegation to Athens to copy out the laws of Solon and to
other Greek cities to find out about their legislation which led to the first important piece of Roman law
the Twelve Tables" (How Did Greek Culture Influence the Development of Roman Civilization?, n.d.).

The Romans also used ancient Greek architectural designs such as Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian but the
Romans infused the use of new materials and technology such as concrete and designed the arch and
domes. "By the time Alexander the Great had established his Hellenistic Empire, Greek had become the
common language of the Eastern Mediterranean and into Asia Minor" (How Did Greek Culture Influence
the Development of Roman Civilization?, n.d.). With this is mind, most of the lands conquered by the
Romans spoke Greek already and at some point even the Romans changed their language to be in line
with the rules of rhetoric set forth by the Greeks. Also because most educated Romans spoke Greek, this
made Greek one of the two official languages of the Roman Empire.

From the Roman Republic till the beginning of the Roman Empire, Romans who wished to reach the
pinnacle of education had to attend school in Greece (How Did Greek Culture Influence the
Development of Roman Civilization?, n.d.). The Romans also adopted most Greek instruments including
the lyre, kithara, and lute though music was not highly esteemed in the Roman Republic. Roman artists
also adopted Greek artistic techniques of crafting sculptures. It is said that many of the Greek sculptures
in museums today are Roman copies (How Did Greek Culture Influence the Development of Roman
Civilization?, n.d.).

Spartan soldiers were often called upon to assist the Roman legions in war especially against the
Parthian Empire. Julius Caesar and his general, Mark Antony, also adopted the Spartan way of training to
train the Roman legions. The ballista (crossbow) which originated in Greece would become a very
important Roman military weapon that was improved upon by the Romans making it lighter and easier
to assemble and to also improve its accuracy and power.
Reference:

How Did Greek Culture Influence the Development of Roman Civilization? (n.d.). Diaspora Travel Greece.
Retrieved October 14, 2021, from https://diasporatravelgreece.com/how-did-greek-culture-influence-
the-development-of-roman-civilization/

Morey, W. (1901). Outlines of Roman History. FORUM ROMANUM.

http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey20.html