Greek Contributions Essay

The ancient Greeks with their brilliant and imaginative spirit created a complete order of things that functioned harmoniously in the infinite world that contained them. Although its exact origins are lost in time, Greek religion is thought to date from about the 2d millenium B.C., when the culture of Aryan invaders fused with those of the Aegean and Minoan peoples who had inhabited the region of Greece from Neolithic times [1]. The beginning and the genesis of this world occupied the ancient Greeks in much the same way it did the early people of every civilization. Greek religion was at the beginning a blend of Minoan, Egyptian, Asian, and other elements, but it subsequently evolved along with Greek thought.

Historians have long considered Ancient Greece to be one of the most influential societies on modern day life. Ancient Greece has inspired the modern world in five main areas: theatre, government, philosophy, art, and architecture.

     The ancient Greek and Roman civilizations of Europe began to progress toward a more civilized order of society. As there were no previous establishment to base their ideals on, it was understandable that there were some difficulties in their progression as a society. Although the ancient Greek and Roman governments fell, both had similar paths of creation, conquest, and destruction.

The Greek civilization contributed greatly to the development of modern Western culture. Three of the most important contribution that are the foundations of our society are Language, Philosophy, and Government.

1. During the Mycenaean civilization, who was the great poet and what were his two important literary works that influenced the Greeks and formed part of Western literature? Homer, The Iliad, The Odyssey

Greek mathematical and scientific ideas have also been a large contribution. Euclid, a Greek mathematician, wrote many theorems. His theorems have been very substantial because they are included in today’s mathematical problems. One of his theorems include “If two straight lines cut one another, the vertical, or opposite, angles shall be equal.” This specific theorem is used in proofs and it proves that all vertical angles are equal. Hippocrates was a Greek physician who created the Hippocratic Oath. This oath

2). This method of thinking led to the beginning of the scientific method. The scientific method is finding a question, making a hypothesis, conducting an experiment, analyze your data, and make a conclusion based on your experiment. Without ancient Greek philosophers, we would have a different outlook on life.

One of Thales’ most renounced findings include his discovery in geometric studies in the area reading the rules of triangles. He came to the conclusion that if the base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal, the sum of the angles of a triangle are equivalent to two right angles. With the application of “geometric principles to life situations, Thales was able to calculate the height of a pyramid by measuring its shadow, and the distance of a boat to the shore, by using the concept of similar triangles” (pg. 5, Muehlbauer). Realizations such as these helped shape the beginning for the formation of natural law based on observations of the world through explanation.

With man and nature, there is seemingly a constant curiosity that of which compels many to contemplate questions and to ultimately seek answers for those questions. In modern day, man seeks science, logic, and mathematics to name a few in order to search for those compelling thoughts. However, it was seemingly not that easy in the era of the Ancient Greeks. The Ancient Greeks did feature mathematics, however, to explain natural phenomenon, there was not a reference to science and logic, and like other nations it was rather, mythology.

The Greeks made several inventions, most notably in the subject of math, which are still studied today and taught in school. Mathematician Euclid is often credited as the “Father of Geometry” for all his work and studies in this subject, which are compiled in his books called The Elements. He organized known geometrical statements called theorems and logically proved all of them. He proved the theorem of Pythagoras (another Greek mathematician), which stated that the equation (c2 = a2 + b2) is true for every right triangle.

Ancient Greek philosophy focused on the role of reason and inquiry. It had a meaningful influence on latest philosophy, as well as science. The impact from ancient Greek and Hellenistic philosophers was expanded to medieval Muslim philosophers and scientists, to the European Renaissance and Enlightenment, to the modern technology and natural sciences. Ancient Greek architects strove for the

Lastly, the most important areas of Greek achievement were math and science. They achieved all kinds of things in the areas of psychology, astronomy, geometry, biology, physics, and medicine. In astronomy they formulated the ideas that the sun was 300 times larger than the earth, the universe was composed of atoms, and they also calculated the true size of the earth. Someone that was greatly involved in astronomy was Aristotle. In geometry, ancient Greeks found the value of pi, and Euclid, who wrote the book Elements around 30 B.C., theorized that of two straight lines cut one another, the vertical, or opposite, angles shall be equal. In physics, the lever and pulley was invented along with a force pump which eventually evolved into a stream engine. Important people in this area were Archimedes and Pythagoras who were two of the many influential in the Greek citizens. Ancient Greece has definitely made many influential contributions to that of western civilizations.

For centuries the Greek population was completely under the Ottoman rule. The Greeks’ independence from the Ottoman Turks in 1830 did not come without hardship and suffering. Several other countries including Russia and France took sides with Greece during this fight as they felt close and connected with their culture. A nine year war was fought which eventually resulted in the Greeks gaining independence from the Turks. During this time, the Greeks had to maintain high morale and a strong disposition to be as successful as they were in the end. The circumstances they were under were difficult and harsh. Many people felt as though Greece deserved to break away from the Ottoman Empire, but some believed that the Turkish rule was not too

There are many great philosophers in this world. Some of which are extremely well known and almost everyone knows their names like Socrates, Plato Aristotle Locke and so very many more. Pythagoras is a less known philosopher who had a lot of discoveries while leading a life in a secretive manner. He was an enigma and the leader of a religious sect cult who believed the universe to consist solely of whole numbers and their ratios. Pythagoras said "Do not talk a little on many subjects, but much on a few." Has one ever wondered where did he learn his vast knowledge of mathematics and religious aspects leading to the Pythagorean cult, or what was all of his discoveries besides

Every idea has a start and a history that can be traced back in time. An incredible amount of these ideas and thoughts were started by great ancient civilizations. These ancient civilizations are the base of all modern knowledge. No ancient civilization has contributed more to this base than the civilization of Ancient Greece. The unique ways of ancient Greek agriculture have left a profound influence on the agriculture of today.