If you look at a map, you will see that Rome itself is nowhere near the Mediterranean sea. The closest sea to Rome is the Tyrrhenian Sea and that is fifteen miles away from the city of Rome. Rome did benefit from controlling the lands around the Mediterranean both for commerce and defense.
Greece, although surrounded by seas, has only a small part of the country (the Peloponnese) directly on the Mediterranean. It is otherwise surrounded by the Aegean and Ionian seas. The Greeks made use of their seacoasts as the Romans did for trade and especially for defense, as the Greeks were a great seafaring people who could produce a formidable navy.
Greece, although surrounded by seas, has only a small part of the country (the Peloponnese) directly on the Mediterranean. It is otherwise surrounded by the Aegean and Ionian seas. The Greeks made use of their seacoasts as the Romans did for trade and especially for defense, as the Greeks were a great seafaring people who could produce a formidable navy.
