Greek Contributions to the West

The ancient Greeks made multiple contributions to society that we still recognize today. Their old theories and ideas are still applied in common ways. The philosophers are still studied, hundreds of years later. Greek architecture is very widespread. The United States government is even based on the system of democracy that was used in Greece back then. The ancient Greeks made the most significant contributions to Western Civilization in intellectual, artistic, and social fields.

The Greeks made many intellectual advances that still benefit Western countries today.

Euclid was a Greek mathematician who wrote a book, the Elements (Euclid). In the Elements, he detailed many theories about geometry. The traditional geometry that is taught today is also known as Euclidean geometry, because it uses the theories created by Euclid in the Elements. As a result of Euclid’s ingenuity, it is now easier to use math in real-life ways. Geometry is a major concern in modern engineering and architecture. It is necessary for buildings to be created using precise angles and measurements.

If an angle is even a few degrees away from what it should be, a whole building could collapse. Euclidean geometry has made it easier to be able to check things like angle measurements without having to individually measure and compare them. Besides math, there were also many ancient Greeks that made a large impact on Western Civilization.

Socrates is a Greek philosopher who we still study today, even though he was disliked in his own time. The quote, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” still reflects the attitude of philosophers today, because they drew so heavily from Socrates (Socrates).

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Socrates was one of the most important philosophers in ancient Greece. Another important philosopher was Aristotle, who believed that human reason was incredibly important and that humans are supreme to any other creature (Aristotle). This is another statement that still applies to modern philosophy, and it shows how wise some of the Greeks were. The ancient Greeks made a tremendous impact on our knowledge and wisdom.

The ancient Greeks also made a large contribution to Western Civilization through art, especially architecture. Greek architecture is still present in various buildings today. The Parthenon was created to honor the goddess, Athena (Holford). A very popular element from that building is the columns that are around the outside of the building. Columns are a very common element in modern architecture. You can see columns in many types of buildings, from houses to monuments. One of the most prominent examples of Greek architecture today is the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. It draws heavily from the Parthenon with columns surrounding a statue of Abraham Lincoln. The monument is a dedication to Lincoln, who was a president that played a large role in ending slavery in America. Slavery was one of the biggest obstacles in the way of true democracy in the United States. Democracy began in ancient Greece, so it was fitting for the Lincoln Memorial to reflect the Parthenon, one of the most famous Greek structures.

Some of the most important contributions that the Greeks made were in the social field. Democracy was a large part of Greek society. It was the biggest contribution that the Greeks made to Western Civilization, because it was the main framework for the American government. As told in Pericles’ Funeral Oration, democracy “favors the many instead of the few” (Thucydides). During the time of the Ancient Greeks, the people who held power in government were usually men over 30 who owned land. The problem was that the system did not account for the merchants, farmers, or the women. The Greeks tried to change this through democracy, which was a system that gave equal representation to all men, regardless of money or social standing. The system has been adopted by many countries including the United States, France, Canada, Norway, and others. Without democracy, many modern countries would have very ifferent societies. Another effect that the Greeks had on Western Civilization was the creation of the Olympics.

The statue of The Discus Thrower was created by Greek artist Myron (Myron). The stature depicts an Olympic event, discus throwing. The Olympics are a worldwide event that started in ancient Greece and lasted for hundreds of years. The Olympics bring many countries together through competition, and it is a major event in our present day society that gets a lot of media coverage. Another valuable contribution was the Hippocratic Oath (Hippocrates). The oath was written by Hippocrates, a medical specialist in ancient Greece. A modern version of the oath is studied in American medical schools, and doctors take the oath before they practice medicine today. Hippocrates laid out the ethical principles for doctors throughout history. These morals are the backbone of our society. The Greeks made huge contributions to Western Civilization in the social category.

The ancient Greeks made huge contributions to Western Civilization in intellectual, artistic, and social ways. Euclid was a famous Greek mathematician who created geometry, which is still taught today. The Greek philosophers are still quoted and examined today. The Parthenon was a famous Greek structure which influenced many future buildings and monuments. The Greek political system of democracy is still widely used today to create equality in government. These aren’t even close to all of the important contributions made by the ancient Greeks. The Greeks made contributions to Western Civilization that were both useful and innovative, and they have greatly impacted the way that people live today.