The impact of geographical and cultural factors on the empires of rome and greece

I will be discussing how many different geographical and cultural factors impacted the empires of Rome and Greece. I will also be discussing two of the major leaders in the Roman Empire and their contributions to Roman society and life in Rome as a whole.

Greece is a country located in southeastern Europe with thousands of islands in the Aegean and Ionian Sea. The country is surrounded by water on three of its sides with a majority of its land being made up of hard rock, such as limestone. Because of these reasons, Greece has very few natural resources of its own. Due to the lack of natural resources and the land being relatively unproductive, the Greek people had to develop and rely on their shipbuilding and fishing skills. Many of the Greek people relied and lived off trading by sea. This was their livelihood.

Rome is the capital city in Italy. It was founded on the Tiber river. Rome and its neighbor, Greece, have many similarities when it comes to culture and architecture. Rome got much of its influence from Greece in these aspects. Rome is located on a major waterway and because of this, the Roman people developed a trade route of goods made within the city-state. Some of the ideas and inventions the Roman people came up with was greatly influenced by the actions of neighboring countries. Because of Rome’s relative geographical location, in the center of everything, they were able to flourish as the start of the Roman Empire.

Greece is known as the origin of many intellectual, architectural, and cultural contributions all around the world. One of the most known products of Greek is the Greek alphabet. The Greek alphabet is the model for the Latin alphabet which later became our current English alphabet. When you look at the Greek alphabet letters and compare them to our English alphabet letters you can see the many similarities. Greece is also the birthplace of Greek Philosophy, known mainly for its influence on Western thought. The big three philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were from Greece. These philosophers contributed so much to philosophy covering many topics including: political philosophy, ontology, logic, biology, rhetoric, and aesthetics. Their studies and contributions are incredibly well-known and still studied quite often today.

Just like Greece, Rome also had many contributions to culture and society. A well-known product of the Roman society is the Roman calendar. The Roman calendar is very similar to the calendar we still use to this day. The names of the months are the most noticeable similarities. For instance, the months we have come to know as July and August are named after two very important Roman leaders, Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus. The Roman society also had a very important contribution to culture. They changed the way public sanitation and waste disposal was handled. The Romans are credited to be the inventors of indoor plumbing and indoor public restrooms. This very important contribution is used as a regular way to handle public sanitation and waste disposal all over the world since their invention.

The political structure of the Roman Empire went through many changes as the years went by. As centuries passed some of these changes can be deemed as dramatic. Rome started as a city-state that was founded by Romulus. It then later evolved and changed into a republic with a senate. One of the most well-known and famous senators of Rome was Julius Caesar. Before the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire, Julius Caesar was the leader. He is known to be the last one. Caesar is thought to have been born in 100 BC. He is known for his many years in the senate and is also known for being skilled in the military aspect as well. He was given the name “ Dictator” by the Roman senate. Caesar led the invasion of Europe and began the first attack by Rome on the British and German people sometime between 58 and 52 BC. This was the beginning of Rome’s conquest to gain more control of more of Europe.

Rome expanded its power and influence in many different ways. The main way being war and opposing and conquering other nations. The Roman military is known to be one of the best, most successful and strongest militaries in the history of the world. This was because they focused on the discipline of their soldiers and their strategy. They planned and worked as a unit to strive and succeed in their missions. These reasons are why they are well-known and held such a strong command of the western world for so long.

The Roman Empire, which was Rome’s final stage of influence, lasted from 31 BC to 476 AD. Constantine became the emperor of Rome in 312 AD which is thought to be the height of Roman civilization. Constantine is known for making Christianity the main religion of the country. Some thought this to be one of his greatest achievements during his rule. By making Christianity the main religion, people were no longer threatened and penalized for their faith in Christianity and Jesus Christ. Constantine also had a hand in outlawing dangerous sports that were killing many Christians such as, gladiator sports and crucifixions.