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Greek Influence On Greek Culture

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Long considered an ideal society by its neighbours, the ability of Greek Civilization to export its culture across the known world was great. Accompanying the more pragmatic exports of technology, literature and philosophy were the customs relating to popular culture craved by foreign citizens resulting in the spread of Greek fashion, cuisine, arts and sports across the Mediterranean world. Roman society was a particular market for Greek popular literature, dramas, poetry, music and other art forms. The influence of Greek sculpturing is visible on later Roman sculptures and masterpieces, who inherit both style and technique from the Hellenistic world. The Greek sensibility relating to dress and fashion had an impact on popular culture in Rome, whose people borrowed much in relation to their tastes in fashion from the Greek World. In large part this was due to the increasing number of skilled artisans, hairdressers, chefs and decorators (along with the plethora of other technicians and merchants) immigrating to the Roman heartland from the Hellenistic world as slaves or in search of employment. Popular plays and dramatic masterpieces originating in the Greek world soon found their way to popularity in Rome, often carrying their hidden satirical or moral messages to the Eternal City. Particular evidence for this Hellenistic influence on Roman society can be seen in Roman cuisine. “LIBER II. SARCOPTES I. Isicia. 1. ISICIA MARINA. Isicia fiunt marina de cammaris et astacis de lolligine, de sepia, de locusta. Isicium condies pipere, ligustico, cumino, laseris radice. 2. ISICIA DE LOLLIGINE. Sublatis crinibus in fulmento tundes, sicuti adsolet. Pulpa et in mortario et in liquamine diligenter fricatur, et exinde isicia plassantur. 3. ISICIA DE SCILLIS VEL DE CAMMARIS AMPLIS. Cammari vel scillae de testa sua eximuntur et in mortario teruntur cum piper et liquamine optimo. Pulpae isicia plassantur.” (Caelius Apicius, De Re Coquinaria “Book II”) This extract from a collaborative Roman cookbook dating from the 3rd/4th Century AD commonly known as the ‘Apicius’ describes the ingredients and processes required to create some Roman dishes, offering the best insight into the Roman diet and pallet dating from the period.

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