The Pope wanted everything to show off his money and brains. He was terrible and the artists hated him, he was pompous and tried to fight the Medicis (the artists patron) for control of rome and italy so he was showing off thinking he was better than king david and wanted to build a "roman jerusalem". Raphael, Michealangelo and Davinci all hated and despised the papal office and the church of rome at the time. The Medicie's were actually good to them and this group supported the jews and Rome persectuted them at the time. There is NOTHING in common with Athens and Rome except the fact that like Socrates (not pictured in the painting) was killed by the government for telling the truth. Alot like Jesus, who is unseen.
The values reflect the arguments over learnign and the division of religion and science. Rome was trying to supress science with faith and science was at the time considered witch craft. The jews and all jewish/greek philosophies were suppressed by Rome and the Catholic church.
Also note the lack of women's presence in the school at Raphaels time, but in early Greece, women were more free. Until Roman suppression. Which was blamed on the Jews. And as far as greek homosexuality, see the Roman senatorial tradition for truth on that. It wasnt the Greeks butt plugging, it was Roman Catholic Rich MEN and they blamed the greeks. Kind of like the Priests of today, and how they like little boys that look feminine, now see why John looks feminine in Davincis paintings? Preist of Rome have been doing this for years and years and blaming the Greeks.
