Ancient Greece: The Evolution Of Greek Culture

From the ancient world to modern civilization, Greek civilization has left its impact on our world throughout history. From Greece’s rise and fall, its social, political, and cultural contributions, without the Greeks we would not be as advanced as we are today. The western world was highly influenced by the Greeks, gaining ideas about art, architecture, philosophy, and science.

The Greeks occupied such a minute space of land compared to the rest of the world, and their existence is a mere flicker in time, yet their influence on civilization today is significant and obvious. So how did they do it? The Ancient Greeks were not perfect by any means; they practiced slavery, sacrificing, forced men to become warriors, confined women to the home, and were sometimes plagued by disease. Despite their pitfalls, the Greeks were still able to rise to become a major influential power due to their feeling of purpose, which was to be the best. It was not religion nor war that propelled them forward, but this feeling of wanting to be the best in everything. Essentially, the Greeks wanted to achieve arete, or excellence of any kind. As a result, the Greeks were excellent philosophers, warriors, artists, architects, actors, and so much more. There are many aspects of Greek life that influence civilization today, and it is all due to the Greek’s belief in achieving arete.

In examining the impact that the ancient world has had on modern Western civilization, the two ancient civilizations which are frequently understood as having had the greatest influence are Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. These two civilizations would eventually come to shape much of what would become the modern European culture, politics and society, and by extension, a vast proportion of global culture and society. In examining the trajectory of modern history in an era of globalization of Western ideas and modes of living, the importance of these civilizations in world history is extensive, contributing to cultural, political and social trends which may well dominate the globe in the future.

Ancient Greek culture had major influences on today’s culture; some of these influences include mathematics, government, art and architecture; they even did research in the field of medicine. Many cultures and religions have adapted their ideas from the ancient Greeks. Without the influences of the ancient Greeks our society wouldn’t be the way it is today. The Greek culture lasted from around 776 BCE to 146 BCE (though it is argued to have begun around 1000 BCE), during this time they invented many technologies and refined old technologies. These things are what caused the ancient Greek culture to be such a powerful influence on western society today.

When people wonder about Ancient Greece the first thing that comes to their minds is Greek mythology; gods and goddesses that have helped shape many historical events. “In ancient Greece, stories about gods and goddesses and heroes and monsters were an important part of everyday life.” (“Greek Mythology.”) The civilization showed that numerous characters and stories helped shape Greeks. The beliefs the Greeks had with mythologies was they understood the meaning behind all the characters that are known today. However, to the Greeks, they were not just characters, these were their gods and goddesses who gave them meaning and understanding of the world around them. Worshiping the gods and goddesses helped them with their religious rituals and the temperament of the weather. A famous wine-jar that was made during this time period was “Achilles killing the Amazon Queen Penthesilea, 540-530 BCE, black-figured amphora”. (Khan Academy) The civilization that they lived in grew around their worship and achievements.

The Hellenic Age and the Hellenistic Age are the two main periods in Greek history. The Hellenic Age is significantly different from the Hellenistic Age. The Hellenic period saw the rising and falling of the polis while Hellenistic period was plagued by warfare among the remaining dynasties. Despite the differences between the Hellenic and Hellenistic periods, the one thing that remained consistent in both periods was the Greeks' ability to not only advance science and philosophy but to strive for excellence in everything that they undertook including their ability to deemphasize the role of the gods in their lives.

Sutton, Susan Buck“ Culture of Greece.” Every Culture. Avameg, Inc, 2017. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.

Greek culture had a profound influence on Roman and modern Western civilization. One of the most famous works of ancient Greek literature is Greek mythology, a collection of legends about gods such as Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo ... Greek philosophy is the foundation. Of Western philosophy with famous philosophers such as Thales, Platon, Aristote ... Greek mathematics and science have achieved quite a number of brilliant accomplishments with master scientists like Pythagoras and Archimedes. They invented the basic theorems for modern math and science. Greek architecture has also achieved great successes with works such as the Parthenon, Olympia and Delphi, with a number of temples, squares, theaters and other stadiums. Greece was also the birthplace of the first Olympic Games in 776 BC and was held every four years,

Even though Greece had a geography that was hard to live in, they did many great things. Greece began as small towns and villages, but they realized it would be better to live together. They Greeks started

All around us are the remnants of people that came before. Pieces of themselves left behind through bedtime stories, breakthrough science, and breathtaking art. You see and experience their memory every day. Everyone has left their mark in history but some people and some cultures can be felt in almost all aspects of life. One of these legacies belongs to Ancient Greece. Through establishing many of the sciences we use now, creating architecture that has influenced some of the most well-known buildings in the world, and by conceiving what we know today as the foundation of our country the Greeks have a larger impression on society than any other culture in history.

Greece has contributed to our history in battle and in mythology. They came up with all sorts of tactics and strategies to help them advance in warfare. They had iron weapons, a phalanx and so much more. People always hear stories about Sparta and Athens battling. There are tales of Persia and the Underdogs. We hear of invasions and wars. But most of all, we hear of victories, and celebration. We hear about economies being rebuilt and jobs being restored.

Greece has a long history, one that has helped to shape the western world and

As civilizations entered their classical period, they began to develop culturally. Agriculture was organized and succeeding and extensive trade routes, by land and water, connected civilizations. Goods were being exchanged and survival was no longer a prominent struggle. With this new found freedom from the burden of labor, some cultures moved towards a spiritual path and trying to find a meaning in the world, while others were succeeding economically and the citizens could live more comfortable lives. It was a period of prosperity in many ways and helped to create more compelling civilizations.

Ancient Greece was a fascinating civilization, it was made of city-states. Greece was interesting to me because there were farmers who had to take care of the animals and the warriors in Greece defeated Egypt’s warriors. I will tell you the important facts about Greece, these five themes of geography location are: place, movement, human-environment interactions, and region.

Ancient civilizations are an important part of the world timeline. Some of these ancient civilizations exist today, but most are aware that these civilizations are rare and disguised. There are multiple different factors regarding the fall of societies including: war, capital, natural disasters, over population and even diseases. Although some civilizations collapsed more rapidly than others, each society ended because of internal and/or external factors. Ancient Greece was one of the most dominant and powerful civilizations during its time.