Comparisons Between Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome

By N.S. Gill, About.com Guide

The economy of both Greece and Rome was based on agriculture. Greeks ideally lived on small self-sufficient wheat-producing farms, but bad agricultural practices made many households incapable of feeding themselves. Big estates took over, producing wine and olive oil, which were also the chief exports of the Romans. The Romans, who imported their wheat and annexed provinces that could provide them with this all-important staple, also farmed, but they also engaged in trade. It is thought that the Greeks considered such occupations degrading. In the cities, manufacturing went on. Both Greece and Rome worked mines. While Greece also had slaves, the economy of Rome was dependent on slave labor from the expansion until the late Empire. Both cultures had coinage. Rome debased its currency to fund the Empire. [See Economic Reasons for the Fall of Rome.]

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• Geography
• Art - Greece vs. Rome
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• Women in Greece and Rome
• Father - Rome vs. Greece
• Governments of Athens vs. Rome
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