Download GreeksandRomansComparison

CICERO
History Beyond The Textbook
Comparing Ancient
Greece and Rome
CICERO © 2007
CICERO
History Beyond The Textbook
"The Greeks and Romans"
Binary Paideia
Society
 Greeks
 Ekklesia
(Assembly)

Male Citizens
Iliad

Logos

Society
 Romans
People
 Comitia
Regime
Centuriata
(Assembly of
Centuries)
Ruling Order  Patricians
 Legend of
Paideia
Romulus & Remus
 Martial Valor
Virtue
CICERO © 2007
Ancient Athenians
direct democracy
all male citizens
Contrasts
Government
Voting
Requirements
logos (Reasoned Speech)
relegated to the private life
Virtue
Women
Roman Republicans
republican
all male citizens have weighted
votes according to how rich
they were
martial valor
some public role and rights,
especially in context with
the family
fraternity based
Society
based on:
all male citizens
Soldiers
landowning male citizens
through the spoils of war, or
trade
Upward
Mobility
spoils of war; trade; landless
peasants were given land,
mobility was available
CICERO © 2007
family based
Ancient Greeks
 Greeks
came together in cities to
defend themselves.
 They looked to get an
advantage over their foes.
 They built the cities on high
ground, or the acropolis.
CICERO © 2007
Ancient Greeks
Greeks justified building
walled cities to defend themselves.
 Only citizens of the cities had rights.
 Allowing outsiders too many
privileges would be dangerous for
the city.
 The
CICERO © 2007
Ancient Greeks
 Greeks
justified the need for an
army to defend themselves.
 Greek justice required all men to
fight in the army.
 participate in the whole public
life of the city.
 vote in every decision.
 discuss all public issues.

CICERO © 2007
Ancient Greeks
Since all Greek men (except
slaves) participated in the
life of the city, they believed
that self-rule was the most
important good.
CICERO © 2007
Ancient Greeks
 Greeks
would justify going
to war to defend the good
or to defend against those
who would take away selfrule.
CICERO © 2007
The Ruin of the Greek City-states
 Since
all male citizens had
an equal say in the
government, many groups
of men continuously formed
factions, argued, and
fought.
CICERO © 2007
The Ruin of the Greek City-states
 Poorer citizens often voted to go to
war so they could plunder their
neighbors to get money, gold, and
other riches. The society did not offer
them many other ways to advance
themselves.
CICERO © 2007
Roman Republicans
Romans settled on the high
ground hills (the Seven Hills of
Rome) which would be easier to
defend against enemies.
CICERO © 2007
Roman Republicans
Romans required all landholders to
participate in the army.
Landholders had a stake in the survival
of the city, so they could be trusted to
remain loyal to Rome.
 Also, landholders would not always vote
for war since they had to return home
to tend their fields.
 They had alternative ways to achieve
wealth besides the spoils of war.

CICERO © 2007
Roman Republicans
Romans began to conquer
neighbors to give
themselves further
advantages over any
possible enemies.
CICERO © 2007
Roman Justice
Romans settled a part of each conquered
land with landless Romans.
Often, soldiers serving in the Roman army
were given land the army had conquered
when they retired from the army
Conquered men, along with freed male
slaves, were also eligible for Roman
citizenship.
CICERO © 2007
Roman Justice
All Roman citizens could vote; however,
their votes were weighted according to
how much land they owned.
Romans believed that those with more land
had a greater stake in the success of the
city-state; thus, they should have a
greater say in the government.
CICERO © 2007
Roman Good
To the Romans “the good”
came from martial valor,
the ability to defend Rome
and to advance the city’s
interests.
CICERO © 2007
Roman Good
Romans believed they held an
advantage over their enemies with
the spread of the Roman Empire.
 The spread of the empire brought
more people into the Roman world.
 The empire brought order and peace.
 Roman peace, or the good, came
through Roman military conquest.

CICERO © 2007