Page 143 - Western Civilization A Brief History, Volume I To 1715 9th - Jackson J. Spielvogel

Roman Legionaries. Roman legionaries, famed for their courage and tenacity, made possible Roman domination of the Mediterranean Sea. At the time of the Punic Wars, a Roman legionary wore chain-mail armor and a plumed helmet and carried an oval shield, as in the bronze statue from the second or first century B.C.E. shown at the left. Heavy javelins and swords were their major weapons. This equipment remained standard until the time of Julius Caesar. The illustration on the right shows a Roman legion on the march from Trajan’s column, erected in the second century C.E. (Left: Museo della Civilta Romana, Rome/Gianni Dagli Orti/The Art Archive at Art Resource, NY; Right: Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris// a Roger-Viollet/The Image Works)
Society and Culture in the Roman World
Q FOCUS QUESTION: How did the acquisition of an empire affect Roman social and economic institutions, values and attitudes, and art and literature?
One of the most noticeable features of Roman culture and society is the impact of the Greeks. The Romans had experienced Greek influence early on through the Greek cities in southern Italy. By the end of the third century B.C.E., however, Greek civilization was playing an ever-increasing role in Roman culture. Greek ambassadors, merchants, and artists traveled to Rome and spread Greek thought and practices. After their
conquest of the Hellenistic kingdoms, Roman military commanders shipped Greek manuscripts and artworks back to Rome. Multitudes of educated Greek slaves were used in Roman households. Greek models affected virtually every aspect of Roman life, from lit- erature and philosophy to religion and education. Wealthy Romans hired Greek tutors and sent their sons to Athens to study. As the Roman poet Horace said, “Captive Greece took captive her rude conquer- or.” Greek thought captivated the less sophisticated Roman minds, and the Romans became willing trans- mitters of Greek culture—not, however, without some resistance from Romans who had nothing but con- tempt for Greek politics and who feared the end of old Roman values. Even those who favored Greek
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