Final answer:
Ancient Greece and Rome were successful due to their unique political and cultural developments, military strength, unity among city-states, and incorporation of cultural elements from one another. Greece fostered shared cultural practices, while Rome was driven by military expansion and influenced by Greek art and culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
The success of ancient Greece and Rome as empires can be attributed to a variety of factors. Ancient Greece benefited from being geographically remote and relatively resource-poor, deterring foreign invasions and allowing the development of unique political institutions and culture. Additionally, they had a shared language, religion, and culture, with Panhellenic sanctuaries and festivals like the Olympics fostering unity among the disparate city-states. On the other hand, Rome's success lay in its military dominance, respect for authority, and patriotism.
Despite the cultural influence of Greece on Roman elites, Romans prided themselves on virtues of strength and honesty, and unlike Greece, Rome succeeded in mobilizing vast armies to expand its territory. This military capacity was partly due to the reliance on slaves for labor, which freed Roman men for military service. The Roman Empire also thrived through cultural perpetuation, with admiration for Greek art leading to the appropriation and reproduction of Greek aesthetic principles across the empire. Both civilizations, while different in their paths to success, managed to leave indelible marks on history through their contributions to politics, culture, and societal organization.