Greek Alphabet

• The ancient Romans adopted their alphabet from the Etruscans, who adopted their alphabet from the Greeks. This alphabet later spread throughout the western world; people today are still using the letters and sounds from this alphabet. Greek sounds and written language patterns influenced poems, the forms in prose and the spoken word.
  
  

Greek Gods

• The Romans had a tendency to adopt religions from many cultures that they conquered. The Romans readily adopted the Greek gods into their culture, though they changed their names. For instance, Venus is the goddess of love in Roman culture, but in Greek culture her name is Aphrodite. The Greeks and Romans frequently wrote about and created works of art in honor of their gods. Many heroic stories featured the gods interacting with humans and interfering with people's fates and actions.
  
  

Greek Architecture

• The Romans quickly adopted the more artistic aspects of Greek culture after conquering them in 146 B.C. Wealthy patrons brought artists back to Rome, where they were hired to decorate homes. These artists added colorful murals to the walls and mosaics to the floors. They also brought with them the practice of creating sculptures for the home and public spaces. Some of these sculptures, modeled on the Graeco-Roman gods, have survived to contemporary time and are housed in museums around the world.
  
  

Greek Sculpture

• The Romans started training with Greek masters and copying their styles in art and sculpture. The early Roman sculptures are copies of Greek sculptures. Later sculptures by Roman artists are strongly influenced by the Greeks, especially in form and style. By the fifth century B.C,. the Greeks figured out how to portray the human body realistically at rest and in movement. Roman sculptures created by Roman artists have the same handle on human form, but focus more on individual persons, especially well-known politicians.