This paper investigates the characteristics of education in Ancient Greece and Rome. Emphasis is placed on the influence of Greek education, literature and culture on Roman education in general as well as on the role of the family in the upbringing and education. Furthermore, the development of the Greek and Roman educational systems is described in this paper. Each system has been researched with respect to the bearers of educational processes (private and public education, teachers) and levels of education (from primary schools, where students learned to read, write and count, all the way to higher education). The systems are compared with respect to the goal of teaching, i.e. how social ideals dictate which knowledge and skills are taught. In addition, the methods and aids used and the differences in education with regard to the gender of the students are described. Some of these aspects can be found in the works of ancient authors such as Marcus Fabius Quintilianus, Publius Cornelius Tacitus, Titus Livy, Marcus Tullius Cicero and Plato; their information about education will be quoted in paper