Ancient Rome Vs Ancient Greece

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We're pitting two of history's greatest empires against each other in a battle royale! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at which ancient culture was truly the most powerful: Greece, or Rome.

Transcript

00:00 "Maximus, we must save Rome from the politicians, my friend."

00:02 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at which ancient culture was truly the most powerful,

00:08 Greece or Rome.

00:09 "Answer the boy."

00:10 "Given up for dead, returns to his people, to secret Sparta, a king! Our king, Leonidas!"

00:20 Round 1 - Economy

00:23 It's highly likely that Rome had the most advanced economy of any culture in ancient Eurasia.

00:29 Though, like many parts of ancient history,

00:31 details on how Rome's economy functioned day to day haven't survived.

00:35 Rome's expansion during the long Republic period made important trade goods readily available to

00:40 Roman citizens. Rome itself used its large, newly claimed territories to conduct agricultural work

00:46 on a large scale. People were able to build vast amounts of wealth and construct extravagant villas

00:52 while trading in commodities like wine. But of course, Roman society also relied heavily on

00:57 slavery, with many of the people Rome conquered becoming slaves and working the land. The economy

01:03 of ancient Greece, on the other hand, is even more enigmatic than Rome, though it likely wasn't as

01:08 developed. It also traded heavily in wine and oil. But it's worth noting that we know this because

01:14 the pottery jars these goods were contained in are frequently found in archaeological sites.

01:19 This means that there are probably many more commodities Greece and Rome traded in that we

01:23 don't know about whatsoever because the archaeology isn't as sturdy as pottery. Greece, too, used

01:29 slaves, but its poor quality soil meant that Greece itself couldn't be the agricultural titan

01:34 that Rome was. It relied heavily on small colonies to provide goods it could use to trade elsewhere.

01:40 We're giving this victory to Rome, though, because the evidence we have suggests it was far more

01:45 sophisticated. Winner, Rome.

01:48 Round 2, Ingenuity

01:50 Ancient Greece is still revered for its great thinkers in early areas of scientific study.

01:55 It had astronomers, mathematicians, architects, and even ideas about atoms that are extremely

02:00 close to modern particle physics. They developed cartography and hydraulics, and even had an early

02:06 form of railroad known as the Dioko Stone Road. The oldest known analog computer, the Antikythera

02:12 Mechanism, was also an ancient Greek invention used to chart the movements of the stars and planets.

02:18 There are even stories that the Greek genius Archimedes was able to use the sun as a heat

02:22 ray to burn enemy ships, though modern scientists have been consistently unable to recreate this.

02:28 And finally, parts of Greece, including Athens, used aqueducts as early as the 6th century BC.

02:35 Where Rome is concerned, the clearest lasting legacy of the Roman Empire in terms of what it

02:40 physically left behind is its roads. Of course, roads have existed as long as humans have,

02:46 but Rome planned and built large, complex, and interconnected road networks in order to

02:51 supply the furthest reaches of its vast empire. And in fact, the way the Romans built roads was

02:56 so good that those networks are still used in Europe today. Rome also had its unique Roman

03:02 concrete, the recipe for which remained a mystery until very recently, which has enabled its

03:07 impressive buildings to stand the test of time. However, you can't get away from the fact that

03:12 many pieces of Greek ingenuity and engineering are still used to this day.

03:17 Winner, Greece.

03:18 Round 3, Leaders.

03:20 Ancient Greece was never really an empire in the same way that Rome was.

03:30 The Roman Empire existed in some form or another for 2,000 years, from the beginning of the

03:35 Republic Era to the end of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 15th century.

03:39 "At this one glorious moment in time, Alexander is loved by all."

03:46 The closest it came was under the leadership of Alexander the Great,

03:49 an immensely successful military leader whose empire stretched from northern Africa to India.

03:55 Greece had other notable leaders too, like Pericles, who led Athens during much of the

03:59 Peloponnesian War, and another Athenian leader, Cleisthenes, often nicknamed the "Father of

04:04 Democracy." "My true concern is Athens. I fear for her future."

04:10 But Rome during the long Republic Era was also a democracy, though it interestingly used

04:15 dictatorship as a political strategy during this period when Rome faced a particularly grave threat.

04:20 Marcus Aurelius was emperor in the 2nd century, and he successfully defended Rome against many

04:25 rival powers. He's well regarded to this day as one of the most prominent Stoic philosophers

04:30 and a true philosopher king. "I will empower you to one end alone, to give power back to the people

04:38 of Rome and end the corruption that has crippled it." There was also one of the later Roman

04:44 emperors, Constantine the Great, who converted to Christianity and made reforms that enabled

04:48 the Eastern Roman Empire to survive for another millennia after the fall of Ravenna.

04:53 "At 30, he was a god with an empire stretching across the known world.

04:57 What have I done with my five long decades here on Earth? It taught me to invent."

05:01 Arguably, there are too many great Roman leaders to list them all here,

05:05 which is why we have to give Rome this victory.

05:08 Winner, Rome.

05:09 Round 4, Culture

05:12 For this category, we are broadly looking at the way these societies contributed to the arts.

05:17 "Stachyles, you were born for this war."

05:21 Ancient Greek culture has influenced the rest of the world for thousands of years

05:25 through its mythology and distinctive architecture.

05:35 Greek myth was so influential, in fact, that Roman mythology significantly borrowed from it,

05:42 with the two cultures sharing many of the same deities and stories. Ancient Greece was also the

05:47 home of Western philosophy, with influential thinkers like Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates,

05:53 not to mention the father of history, Herodotus. There's the literature, too.

05:57 Oral storytellers like Homer and dramatists like Sophocles bringing those myths to life.

06:02 And finally, the Olympic Games, which began in Greece.

06:06 Again, the Romans borrowed heavily from the Greeks and clearly appreciated Greek culture,

06:11 but ancient Rome existed for such a tremendously long time that it had a huge diversity of its own art.

06:18 Roman Art

06:28 One iconic remnant of Roman art is the mosaic, with many mosaics surviving in Roman ruins,

06:33 as well as painted frescoes. But the Romans also created something that modern audiences

06:38 will be deeply familiar with - the Latin alphabet, which evolved in Rome over a long period of time

06:44 and eventually spread across Europe. And lastly, there's Rome's most famous form of entertainment,

06:50 gladiator combat, performed in coliseums throughout the empire.

06:54 It's a close call, but ultimately, without Greece, Roman culture wouldn't have become what it was.

07:04 Winner - Greece

07:06 Round 5 - Military

07:11 Rome's military prowess is still celebrated and revered to this day.

07:16 At its height, the Western Roman Empire controlled a territory the size of a continent,

07:20 and had countless successful military campaigns under its many leaders.

07:24 Rome is well-known for its legionary system, where it was able to consistently win conflicts

07:29 because of its well-trained legions and the large number of soldiers it had available to send.

07:34 But it was also a naval power, ruling the Mediterranean with two vast fleets.

07:39 And it was with Rome's almighty navy that Augustus established the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC.

07:44 Ancient Greece was also militarized, but spent most of its time not conquering other cities

08:04 and countries, but having civil wars. Greece's powerful city-states were often in conflict with

08:08 each other, notably during the long Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. This war was fought

08:14 on land and at sea, with the Greeks having powerful warships at their disposal.

08:18 The Spartans were a warrior society almost as idealized today as the Romans,

08:28 and were a formidable force, even if they couldn't defeat Xerxes.

08:32 - Spartans! What is your profession?

08:35 - War! War! War!

08:39 But even with Sparta, military might isn't the thing Ancient Greece is usually known for today,

08:44 and it couldn't save it from losing to Rome during the Battle of Corinth in 146 BC.

08:49 - This is Sparta!

08:51 For most of Roman history, Rome was impossible to defeat,

08:58 and it eventually took control of the Greek world, which is why it wins this round.

09:04 Winner, Rome. It looks like it's an overall victory for Rome, winning three rounds,

09:09 which is fitting because Rome was victorious in history too.

09:12 Let us know in the comments which Roman emperor you think was the most successful.

09:20 Did you enjoy this video? Check out these other clips from WatchMojo,

09:24 and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.

09:29 [Music]

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