Replies

Rome essentially subsumed much of what was Greek, the greeks spent a lot of time pondering what was right and moral and what was natural law, hence Plato. The ideas of self governance for city states was implemented here. Unfortunately they also considered anything non Greek as barbarians and as such worthy of conquer. Athenians had no problems killing Trojans eventhough today we would consider them to be of the same people, Pretty much NY going to war with Trenton.

Same thing applied to the Romans but the Greeks were non Roman so they had to be gotten rid of as well.
Neither culture despite how advanced they were in the arts,be it architecture or literature or government prevented them from slaughtering with bloody abandon when it came to anything perceived as other.

On the home front, the Romans raised butchery no new standards. The arena was the entertainment not only of the masses but of the elite as well. Blood lust was the mean not the exception and this was among very high cultures.