Rome’s contact with the Hellenistic world had a very large impact on the Roman
civilization as a whole, this was never more apparent than during the second and
third centuries B.C.E. Initial impressions of the Hellenistic world came from
interactions with Greece. Originally thru trade, the expansion of Hellenistic culture
into Roman expanded after the Macedonian Wars gave control of the eastern part
of the Mediterranean (Levack, Muir, & Veldman, 2011, p. 150). During this period,
Greek art became very much in demand, it wasn’t uncommon for Greek artists to
relocate to Rome for the wealth they had the potential to earn there. These artists
would then recreate Greek art for their Roman customers; sadly these recreations
in Rome are some of the only pieces to survive to the modern age. A blend of
Roman and Hellenistic styles lead to the design and popularity of ancestral masks,
these portrait sculptures showed the true age of the person, including scars and
wrinkles (Levack., 2011, p. 152).
Initially Roman architecture closely mimicked Greek designs. Greek Doric, Ionic,
and Corinthian capitals atop of Greek columns were very prevalent during the
period (Levack., 2011, p.152). Certain buildings, like the circular temple in Rome,
took directly from Greek plans, and even imported the buildings material from
Greece. Roman contributions came in the form of structural improvements,
including arches and domes.
Roman literature stands out when discussing Hellenistic influence on the
