Greco-Roman Influence on the Mediterranean

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The Mediterranean Basin became a more developed and populated society thanks to the early Greeks and Roman people. Although both societies possessed similar traits they were different, and both contributed to the western world in their many efforts in developing their own societies. The Romans, although starting out as a monarchy, developed into a society governed by a republic constitution. This consisted of two consuls, who were elected by the wealthy class people (patricians). There was also a senate, which consisted of members that were aristocrats. The Greeks on the other hand did not have this type of government. They instead had independent, autonomous city-states without just one single leader. Each city-state (polis) relied on their own resources like fish, furs, timber, honey, grain, wax, gold, and amber. When it came to family the Greeks had and believed in patriarchal structures. The men were the head of the family, taking charge and saying what goes to include the keeping of a newborn baby. The women fell under the say of the men in the Greek society. It could have been her father, husband, or son as long as they were the male in her family then she was subordinate to him. The Romans were similar in their beliefs of family structure like the Greeks. The Romans also believed that the head of the family should be a male, as they called it pater familias-“father of the family” (Bentley, Streets, Ziegler, 2008). The head of the family was allowed to arrange marriages for his kids, designate what duties were to be done, as well as punishments for any offenses they committed. He even had the authority to sell his family into slavery or to have them executed. Women played a role similar to Greek women handling the domestic affairs and raising their children, however as stated in Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History, “…Roman law
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