Doctrine of Ethos: a Comparative Analysis of Classical Roman and Greek Ethos

Abstract

Classical Roman people were passionate, brilliant people. Classical Roman and Greek ethos aren’t as similar as one may think. Their Art styles were very different. Greeks used different materials than the Romans with different styles in detail. Romans had a different idea about Religion and how to worship. At the same time, the Greeks viewed their women very differently than the Classical Romans. Both were very respected and well-understood. However, the Classical Roman character valued different things.

Body

Artistic Expression

Classical Roman ethos is often included with Classical Greek ethos because they have similarities, though one may not realize how different they really are.

There are a lot of elements that ended up defining the Roman character that was the opposite of what the Greeks viewed. They were similar but had so many fundamental values that were not related to each other. In fact, Roman’s social classes, art styles, and religious views were quite different from Classic Greek views. Their views on the roles of women were probably the most different.

Women were not allowed to do much of anything in the Classical Greek culture, especially without a man. They weren’t valued as equals. Women were known to keep up with gossip for the most part. The only thing that Greek culture valued women for was the making and birthing of children. Women weren’t even allowed to be citizens. In the Greek culture, the women weren’t allowed in public places without being escorted by a male. In public, you could never see a woman without a man. What may seem odd is that women could own property but never sell it in Greece. Since women weren’t citizens, they were not allowed to be involved in society that much, except for gossip. (Buszard, Bradley.)

There, women in Classical Roman culture, however, had more freedom. They, of course, weren’t valued as much as they are now. Roman women were at least allowed to be citizens. They were also valued as so much more than keeping up with gossip. They were known to be, as I would call it, pure. They were valued to keep the harmony of society and the household. The women were modest and were in a one-man to a women society. Not only could they be citizens, but they could also own and sell the property that they owned. Women were more part of the society in Rome. Women could come and go as they pleased, with or without a man by their side, including going to church. The Classical Greek and Roman views had religions that had similarities but had fundamental differences. (Beard, Mary.)
Greece’s religious beliefs focus solely on life on earth. What you did on earth would follow you into the next life. The more honorable deeds you do on earth, the better your life will be in the future. They also believed in the Twelve Olympian Gods. They had Gods and Goddesses. The twelve Olympians are known as Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Area, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Hestia, and Dionysius. All of them were very important in the Greek culture for various reasons and responsibilities. Each god or goddess had different worshiping aspects. This made worshiping part of the Greek people’s daily ritual. (Gordon, Richard.)

Religious Beliefs

The Classical Roman religious beliefs were fairly different. The Romans believed in the divine. There is one god in heaven. They looked past the deeds that they did on Earth. If the Roman people did right, the divine god would help them find the unknown of the world. They believed that god would help them live a successful and happy life on earth. They also believed in blood sacrifices so that the gods would help them be successful. Sheep were very often the blood scarified. Even though the Greek and Roman religious views are very different, their art styles are what stand out the most to me. (Maurice, Lisa.)

Social Values and Roles

The significant difference between the two art forms is the pottery. Classical Greeks made a lot of pottery that they painted with images and myths. They used a lot of symmetry in their painting on the jugs. The Greeks did not have concrete, so they used a lot of marble instead when making sculptures or buildings. (Mount, Harry.) The Classical Greek style of art was focused more on the realism of the art than the decoration beauty. This made life slightly harder for them as the Roman people had a lot of concrete. (Childs, Williams.)

Classical Roman art was known for its paintings and building designs. Romans had excellent detail in their paintings. They mainly made portraits. They viewed art differently than the Greeks, as they used their paintings mainly for decoration only. Romans made their biggest dent in architecture. They had the luxury of being able to make large buildings. They made most of their buildings using arches, domes, and columns. Romans made beautiful buildings that people go around the world to see today. (Mount, Harry.)

Conclusion

The Classical Roman character was and is very well respected. They helped make large jumps in every aspect of life. The Classical Greek culture was significantly different, though just as important. They helped balance each other out while improving and challenging one another. The art, Religion, and social classes have changed dramatically over time. It’s important to realize that even though the classical Roman and Greek ethos are similar in many ways, they are unique as well.

Work Cited

1. Beard, Mary. “2C.” The Classic Women?, vol. 43, 1 July 1993, p. 22., doi:10.15417/1881.
2. Buszard, Bradley. “Masthead.” The Speech of Greek and Roman Women in Plutarch’s Lives., vol. 105, no. 1, Jan. 2010, p. 83., doi:10.1086/695779.
3. Childs, William. “The Classic Realism in Greek Art.” Art, vol. 47, no. 1, 1988, doi:10.15417/1881.
4. Gordon, Richard. “Greek History.” Religion: Greek Religion, vol. 49, no. 02, 2002, pp. 262–265.,
5. Maurice, Lisa. “Rewriting the Ancient World.” Rewriting the Ancient World: Greeks, Romans, Jews and Christians in Modern Popular Fiction, 2017.
6. Mount, Harry. “Classic Treasure.” The Greek and Roman Collections Sculpture, 2010, Spectator, May 15, 2010, Vol.313(9481), p.52(2).

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