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.
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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.
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09:29 [Music]