Greece in the Roman era

The Greece in the Roman era refers to the time when the ancient Greek lands and people were ruled by the Romans. This period started around 146 BC, after the Romans defeated the city of Corinth in a big battle called the Battle of Corinth. Before that, the Romans had already been taking control of areas around Greece during several wars called the Macedonian Wars.

During this time, Greece was first ruled by the Roman Republic and later by the Roman Empire. Many important changes happened, including the building of a new capital city called Nova Roma by Emperor Constantine the Great. This city was later named Constantinople.

Even though this was a long time ago, people from Greece today still think of this Roman rule as a difficult time. It came between the earlier days of Greek city-states and the later days of the Eastern Roman Empire, which kept many Greek traditions alive.

Conquest of Greece

Rome first met Greek culture in Magna Graecia, the Greek settlements in Southern Italy and Sicily. After Rome won the Pyrrhic War in 275 BC, most cities in southern Italy began to follow Roman rules.

The Roman Republic slowly took control of mainland Greece by beating the Kingdom of Macedon in many fights called the Macedonian Wars. In the Second Macedonian War, the Achaean League joined Rome against Macedonia in 197 BC. Macedonia fully became part of Rome when its king Perseus lost in the Third Macedonian War in 168 BC.

The area turned unstable when a new leader, Andriscus, tried to take over, starting the Fourth Macedonian War. This war ended at the Battle of Pydna in 148 BC with a Roman win. After this, Rome made Macedonia a Roman province and kept soldiers there to stay in control. The Greek peninsula later joined the Roman Republic after important events like the Fall of Corinth. Southern Greece also began to follow Roman leadership.

Roman Republic

After the Achaean League ended, Roman leaders reorganized Greece as a place under Roman control. Some important Greek cities like Athens and Sparta stayed mostly independent and did not pay Roman taxes directly. Rome made changes to the way these cities were governed, giving more power to wealthier people who wanted to work with Rome.

Rome built the Via Egnatia in the second century BC to help move troops quickly between different parts of their empire. Later, in 88 BC, some Greek cities tried to fight against Roman rule because they were unhappy with how things were run. A Roman general named Lucius Cornelius Sulla stopped this revolt, but it caused a lot of damage to parts of Greece.

During Rome's own wars, Greece often supported different Roman leaders. One big battle happened in Greece in 48 BC, called the Battle of Pharsalus, where Julius Caesar defeated his opponent. After Caesar's death, Greece suffered more from the ongoing fights among Roman leaders. Finally, a leader named Augustus brought stability and organized Greece as a formal part of the Roman Empire. Even though Rome's control sometimes hurt Greece's economy, the country began to recover under Roman leadership.

Early Roman Empire

See also: Greco-Roman relations in classical antiquity

Life in Greece changed little when it became part of the Roman Empire. Roman culture was deeply influenced by Greek ideas and traditions. Many Romans admired Greek writing, thinking, and science, and the Greek language was popular among learned people in Rome.

Rome worked to rebuild Greek cities. Athens grew as a center for learning and ideas. Rich Romans and emperors built many temples and public places in Greece, especially in Athens. This helped make Greece an important place for trade between Rome and the eastern parts of the empire. During this peaceful time, called the Pax Romana, Greece became a meeting point for many cultures.

Later Roman Empire

Further information: Byzantine Greece

During the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Greece was divided into several provinces such as Achaea, Macedonia, and Thrace. Later, under leaders like Diocletian and Constantine, Greece became part of larger groups of land ruled by the Roman Empire.

Greece faced attacks from groups like the Heruli, Goths, and Vandals. Eventually, Greece became an important center of the eastern part of the Roman Empire, known later as the Byzantine Empire. Even after big changes in the western Roman Empire, Greece stayed strong and busy for many years.

The Roman emperor Heraclius made Greek the official language of the empire in the early 7th century. Over time, Greece was fought over by different empires and groups, including the Bulgarian Empire, Slavic tribes, and Normans. Later, the Ottoman Empire took control of Greece.