Rustic Romans and Greek Snobs

This provides an interesting angle on intra-Gentile cultural issues forming the backdrop of the New Testament world.

The cultural relation of Roman to Greek was, in many ways, not unlike the cultural relation of Englishman to Frenchman and of American to Englishman: In all three relations, simplicity is the virtue and complexity the vice on one side, while on the other subtlety is prized and (supposedly rustic) straightforwardness can give offense.

Cahill, How the Irish Saved Civilization, p. 44