What is the Difference Between Greek and Roman Education

The key difference between Greek and Roman education is that Greek education involved the precise study of mathematics and science while Roman education did not.

Roman education was based on Greek education. Both these systems focused only on educating boys from rich and elite families. The poor boys were left to find jobs while girls were taught to read, write at home, were trained in household chores, and be good wives.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Greek Education
3. What is Roman Education
4. Greek vs Roman Education in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Greek vs Roman Education

What is Greek Education?

Greek education is education that prevailed in Greece, which was structured to help political and social life at that time. Its purpose was to produce good citizens. Greek education had two forms as formal and informal.

Formal education was limited to boys in elite families. This was because parents had to spend and provide a place for education since they were not funded by the state. Until six years of age, the boys were taught at home. Then, at the age of seven, the boys of wealthy families started formal schooling. These schools were governed by a triumvirate of schoolmasters. They included kitharistes (music teachers), grammatistes (teachers who taught writing and grammar), and paidotribes (those who handled the physical side of a child’s education).

By the time these boys were 14 or 16, they ended formal schooling. After that, they were allowed to start a trade, engage in higher education, or join the army. Moreover, being elites, they could enter politics and public affairs. However, even at the peak of Greek civilization, the majority of people were uneducated because of the discrimination in providing formal education.

The above-stated education method was not conducted in Sparta. Education at Sparta was aimed at war and battle. There, the boys were given a tough military education, which was organized by the state. Here, girls too were trained alongside boys.

Ancient Greece was a patriarchal society, and women were expected to handle the household. The girls were not given formal education. They were only trained by their mothers in domestic chores.

What is Roman Education?

Roman education was based on Greek education with Roman religious beliefs, politics, and cosmology. Here too, only rich boys received formal education. This meant that poor children and girls were excluded from receiving formal education. The poor boys were then taught to do jobs like running farms, acting, or working on businesses. The girls were taught at home. They were taught music, sewing, doing household chores, and how to be good wives.

Roman schools taught children to read, write, public speaking, and subjects like maths, Greek, Latin, and literature. But these were based on their age.  The schools usually had one room with one teacher. The teachers were very poorly paid and worked long hours. If the boys got their answers wrong or talked without permission, they were badly punished – whipped or caned. In schools, everything was dictated since books were very expensive and not used.

What is the Difference Between Greek and Roman Education?

Roman education was based on Greek education. The key difference between Greek and Roman education is that Greek education involved the precise study of mathematics and science while Roman education did not.

The below infographic presents the differences between Greek and Roman education in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Greek vs Roman Education

Greek education is education that prevailed in Greece, which was structured to help political and social life at that time. Their education was conducted in Greek only. They studied Homer and focused on learning mathematics and science. Greek academies such as Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s lyceum were famous around the world at that time. Roman education was based on Greek education with Roman religious beliefs, politics, and cosmology. Roman education began much later. Though they spoke Latin most, the books were written in Greek; therefore the students had to translate them to Latin and learn. Romans gave priority to studying history and did not specifically learn mathematics and science. Even during the Roman empire, roman academies were not popular like those of Greece. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between Greek and Roman education.

Reference:

1. “Education in Ancient Greece.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Nov. 2021.
2. “Education in Ancient Rome.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Nov. 2021.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Aristotle Bust White Background Transparent” By jlorenz1 (CC BY 2.5) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Roman school” By user:shakko – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

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