What are some of the contributions made to the Romans by some other cultures?
Much of Rome’s culture and technology originated with the Greeks. The Roman pantheon of deities, including Jupiter/Jove, Venus, Mars and Ceres, were based on the Greek pantheon. For example, Jupiter was based on the chief Greek god, Zeus, and Venus on the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. Roman sculpture was very reminiscent of Greek and Hellenic sculpture, in terms of themes, styles and materials. The only difference was that at some times in Roman history, Roman sculpture reflected reality, whereas the Greek was always idealised. Building styles, such as the Doric and Ionic columns, porticoed buildings and marble buildings, was also borrowed from Greece. Although the basic ideas were borrowed from Greece, the Romans improved and elaborated on the concepts to make them “Roman”.
