At first, the Spanish used appeasement techniques to convert the Indians, but when these efforts did not work, they began using violent and brutal techniques. According to José de Acosta, a Spanish clergyman, the craziest Indian barbarians were those who would need force to convert because they rejected beliefs in violent ways, such as by killing missionaries. For Acosta, literate and semi-civilized Indians were easier to evangelize because they more closely resembled the Romans and Greeks. This demonstrates that Acosta saw Indians as different from each other and that it was the literate Indians, those who were considered better and easier to control due to their level of education which opened their minds to new ideas. In contrast, the barbaric Indians required more labor due to their savage mentality. Acosta's comparison of the literati and barbarians to the Greeks and Romans suggests a type of hierarchy between the Romans and Greeks and the rest of the great empires that existed. The Romans and Greeks were the best because of their contribution to society but believing this diminishes the rest of the other empires just like diminishing the Indians who were barbarians. This was a common mentality throughout the conversion process, as uncivilized Indians were seen to be savages, just like their religion. Therefore, the methods used against them required more force and therefore it would be more difficult for them to convert. The Spanish methods and strategies for converting the Indians to Christianity changed from a pacified approach to a more brutal and violent approach. Since the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World, it was clear that the Spaniard's mission...... middle of paper ......pt of life had to be rebuilt. This attempt further strengthened the Indians who believed that the Spanish were harsh individuals. The Franciscans' efforts to Christianize the indigenous population became a problem for other Dominican missionaries because they believed that the Christianization of the Indians was only a superficial conversion and that the Indians were secretly committing religious acts. they were not Christians. Their attempts to evangelize the natives did not convince others who felt that their approach was too pacific and that stricter enforcement needed to be implemented in order to fully convert the Indians. Some even suggested that the Indians were not capable enough to convert. Although the clergyman Acosta thought so, suggesting that "the bad customs of the Indians were due more to education than to nature and that they were capable of understanding».