The bit about Romans dressing and acting like Greeks reminds me of the Gilbert and Sullivan play The Mikado, which satirized British life but was set in a comical version of Japan. When the Crown Prince of Japan visited Great Britain, all exhibitions of the play in London were cancelled so as to avoid giving offense. Unfortunately, His Highness had wanted to seeThe Mikado while he was in town...
Romans and Greeks were a little cosier than British and Japanese though. In addition to Greece not being far, southern Italy was called Magna Graecia for its Greek population, and it's my understanding that Roman aristocrats and politicians often spoke Greek.
