Greek Civilization Importance

Importance of Ancient Greece in Western Civilization With several revolutionary new ideas and theories coming from ancient Greece, they were arguably the most influential ancient civilization in the development of Western Civilization. Comparing the ancient Greeks to modern times, several of the same concepts are still utilized. The Greeks were credited with being the original thinkers, but this can be translated to more than just philosophy. Several new concepts and theories, not just about the world in general but specifically involving the nature of humans, came out of ancient Greece. Many of those concepts have been integrated into modern society. The three most important contributions from Ancient Greece in the development of Western

Although influenced by the earlier theories of the Egyptians, the Greeks changed intellectual thought by taking these theories to another level (“The Story of Mathematics”). This contributed to their caliber of excellence. Many of their mathematical accomplishments helped in their architectural achievements in that the formulas helped them do everything with a sense of perfection. Other than mathematics, the Greeks revolutionized science by being the pioneers of medicine. Instead of leaving everything up to that of divine power, they developed some man-made immunities/remedies to fight off disease. In modern times, medicine is clearly very important, as almost everyone gets vaccines to prevent diseases. The Greeks were the first to develop the notion of preemptive action against disease (“Ancient Greek Medicine”). In mathematics, many Greek formulas are still used, the most famous being the Pythagorean Theorem. These basic formulas were used in the development of Western Civilization to develop more complex formulas. The revolutionary Greek formulas and theories were stepping stones to new, more complex formulas and theories, and still are stepping stones to this day (“Greek Mathematics”). With their revolutionary thinking in science and mathematics, the Greeks contributed very significant studies in medicine and mathematical formulas to the development of Western Civilization, saving new

Currently, of the 192 countries in the world, 123 are democratic (“How Many Democratic Nations Are There?”). This notion was founded and glorified in Athens. The basic idea of democracy was to allow the people to participate in their governing (World History: Patterns of Interaction). According to Mark Cartwright, “Ideals such as these would form the cornerstones of all democracies in the modern world.” Almost all modern civilizations have some influences of democracy. WIthout this concept developed by the Greeks, Western Civilization may have developed as a totalitarian society. When the people are given freedom, it allows them to think freely as well. Without democracy, the Greeks may have been limited to everything they could do, including their thinking. By developing a democracy, it opened the door to many other significant achievements of the ancient Greeks that are still used to this day (“Athenian Democracy”). This base form of government would be a turning point in history. The Greeks revolutionized the way government functions. Still over 2000 years later, the original notion of allowing people to participate in their governing is the primary form of government all over the world, proving the importance of this contribution from ancient Greece to Western