From the perspective of an average person living there.. For example; a normal man living with average amounts of money. Who's life would be better; someone in ancient rome or greece?
History - 10 Answers
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1 :
Personally, I'd say Ancient Rome. For the most part, Rome and the Italian peninsula never saw invasions (only three major invasions come to mind: the Gallic sacking in the mid-450s B.C., Hannibal attacking during the Second Punic War (218-202 B.C.) and the sackings of Rome in the 400s A.D.) while Greece was rife with invasions. Rome conquered the neighboring tribes and pacified them while the Greek city-states constantly fought against each other (see the Peloponnesian War from ca 430-404 B.C.). So, in short, Rome was the better place to live: food was rather plentiful, money wasn't a big problem and foreign invasion didn't happen that often. Edit: The Romans conquered all of Greece, including the Spartans, proving that the Spartans weren't the superior military force.
2 :
Ancient Rome
3 :
Damm you Steve you got in there before me, but yeh he's right Rome for me as well. Rome was a far more technologically advanced city as well, sewer systems, aqueducts free health care for the poor, even dole money for the out of work at times.
4 :
I would say ancient Rome. It is definitely the largest governing republic then, having most of the civilised world and powerful trade posts under their dominance. The Roman republic enabled every willing foreigner to be granted the title of being Roman citizen which in it's own sense can deduce some of your required taxes and could gain acces to every trade good from every nation throgh their trade systems....another thing there are a lot of aqueducts, public baths, technological conviniences and colloseum games where everyone can go to.
5 :
i would say rome but what could they do against sparta
6 :
There would have been more violence in ancient rome. The Mafia is not a American invention.
7 :
This is easy -- the answer is the Roman Empire, which lasted many hundreds of years longer than the USA ever will. But, with such a history, the next question is which century? I think the time before the endless dictatorships would be best, say "Democratic Rome (449-133 BC)".
8 :
I would say ancient Greece and specific ancient Athens during the "Golden age of Pericles". I would see the building of Acropolis, I would see real Olympic Games, Theatre I will experience real Democracy and I believe I would experience a different state of mind cause I'll be talking with some great philosophers.
9 :
Economically, Rome was a market economy with elements of a slave-based economy, while Greece was a slave economy with elements of a market based economy. Greek culture was very stratified, with the poor citizens remaining farmers and the rich citizens living off of the fruits of their slaves, with very little in between. Rome had slaves, which mostly worked jobs that you probably wouldn't have wanted anyway (like silver mines, plantations, and prostitution). Rome was a place with a very robust middle class, and that means good jobs, and a decent standard of living. True Rome was a dangerous city (you didn't leave your house at night without a cadre of armed body guards), but Rome was hardly the exception with regards to this kind of crime. But what Rome did have was a city police/fire brigade (the vigiles) and even an anti-riot force (the Urban cohort). There are written records of freed slaves starting mercantile empires and becoming vastly wealthy in their lifetimes, even richer than many senators. This sort of entrepreneurial attitude was pervasive in the Roman economy. And all that hustle and bustle means jobs, growth, and ever rising standards of living.
10 :
Interesting Cultural question - personally I would have to pick Greece, the ancient romans copied much of the greek culture so I'd go for the original. Also there was nothing like average amounts of money then. Most were farmers or involved with the military and few were wealthy. The great thinkers of the time were Greek as were the great artist, but the life of the "average" person was difficult.
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