Why did the Greeks resist the Persians but accept Roman rule?

However, the Greeks turned out to be terrible at putting this ideal into practice. Athens and Sparta both used panhellenist rhetoric in their bids for leadership in Greece — but both tended to enrich themselves at the expense of fellow Greeks whenever the opportunity arose. read more

Both Persian and Roman rule was not heavy handed, both allowed extended freedoms to their subjects provided they paid taxes and accepted their overlords. Usually this was much more preferable for a Greek city to being conquered by another Greek power. read more

For that reason Roman involvement into Greek affairs wasn't necessarily a threat that demanded an urgent and unified Greek response as was the case with the Persians. Often enough and depending on the local balance of power, alliance with Rome was desirable and even preferable to alliance with a major Greek state like Macedonia, Pergamon or Pontus. read more

There were tensions between the Jewish population of the Roman Empire and Greeks and Romans. While the emperor Trajan was conquering Mesopotamia from the Persians, Jewish rebels attacked small Roman garrisons left in Trajan rear. The revolt spread to the other mentioned areas. read more