Human Life in Ancient Greek and Roman Civilization

Introduction: The Human at the Center of Ancient Civilization

In ancient cultures, human life was the center of interest for everything. The entire construction of civilization was based on the human as the main preoccupation and the most important element in the world. Modern concerns about the environment, animals, and other conflicts that place humans on an equal footing with the rest of the planet were weak or nonexistent many centuries ago, when the sole interest that captured the attention of common people was to understand how their own society worked.

Referring specifically to Roman and Greek culture, we can see their ideas about human life and human nature reflected in the many messages they left behind. Art manifestations are the most eloquent record left from those cultures and speak clearly about their spiritual vision and ideas. They reveal the need to answer the eternal question that tormented philosophers throughout the Classical Period: the purpose of human life and the role humanity played in the world. In their conception, humanity's goal was to reach a divine harmony and force that would elevate people to the same level as the gods (Hurwit, 1987).

Their manifestation of culture and social behavior revolved around the importance of human life. Science, astrology, philosophy, and every other kind of intellectual activity was focused on studying humans and trying to understand how life functioned, in order to reach the key to controlling their existence and destiny. Art was concerned with displaying the beauty of human anatomy, poetry with recreating the human soul, and philosophy with understanding its complexity (Burckhardt, 2002).

Art, Philosophy, and Intellectual Life in the Classical World

The human was the main subject for all forms of expression in ancient societies — from art forms like poetry and theatre to practical activities like politics. Their humanist vision left messages about their way of living and thinking, their spirit and preoccupations, their ideas and feelings. Human life itself is the very subject reflected in all of their artistic and intellectual expression.

Roman and Greek society held almost the same vision of human life and expressed their ideas in nearly parallel ways, owing to the great influence that Greek society had over the Roman world. They valued leisure and comfort in a way that modern civilization would find difficult to understand. For them, time was relaxed and positive feelings were cultivated. In the ancient conception, human life was created to be enjoyed and to enable spiritual growth — not to be constrained and suffered, as it was conceived in later centuries. They worshipped leisure and inner peace in the same way that modern society worships hard work and effort.

Social Customs, Leisure, and Education in Greek and Roman Society

Work was then seen in a negative light, reserved for slaves and foreigners — the lower class. Of great importance were socializing activities such as attending public baths, walking along corridors specially arranged for this purpose, and cultivating the mind with theatre and poetry. For the Greeks, one favorite activity was taking part in political meetings, where citizens could participate in decisions concerning the polis they lived in. A significant part of daily life was occupied by art, music, and theatre. These events grew out of religious festivities and served to cultivate knowledge of mythology and tradition.

Education had a central role in ancient civilizations, much as it does today. However, attending school was not compulsory for children; their basic education took place at home. Myths and legends were an important part of such education. Ancient societies valued creative culture as highly as they valued science and technology, for they believed human life needed to remain in contact with its spiritual nature in order to progress.

Their own ideas portrayed human life as something steady, reliable, and predictable — something that people had control over and could understand — thereby eluding the cruel reality of feeling lost and vulnerable against the forces of nature and an unpredictable future. The conviction of balance and strength helped their societies develop and conquer — through force, as the Romans did, or through the lure of culture, as the Greeks did — many other peoples who would follow their example. Greek and Roman civilizations were not primitive. Their way of life was organized and built upon a structured pattern of rules that set the foundation for what we know today as modern existence.