The two civilizations of Greece and Rome sprang up on the Mediterranean Sea from 800 B. C. E. until the Roman Empire fell around 476 C. E. and their status rivaled those of India and China in its richness and impact on the area. Both ancient Greece and Rome had the same gods and goddesses, which stood for the same thing but had different names. An example of this was the ancient Greek god of the seas, Poseidon, while in ancient Rome, his name was Neptune. And the ancient Greeks and Romans both lived near water for food and water resources and trading routes that would allow their societies to grow.
And also, the ancient Greeks and Romans had very powerful armies, which helped them conquer many other civilizations. The greatness of the Rome was built on imperialism, expansion, and military conquest. Some of the thing that made the Greeks great was based on their beliefs, philosophy, and their excellent commercial skills. The Greeks did not want to force their language, culture, and religion into others but tried to impress them with it in the hopes that others would embrace it.
The Greeks thought that all other cultures were barbaric and were not considered to be worthy of any of the innovations of the Greeks. The Greek language and culture spread more quickly and naturally which was especially due to trade. The Romans believed that their system which was based on military, economy, education, culture, and state was more superior than that of any other in the world and everyone should embrace it as the ultimate achievement that mankind had ever seen.
The Romans could not understand the nations they thought to be barbaric did not want to be liberated by them. The Romans believed that the civilizations that they conquered would bring them into the civilized world. Many things that are found it the world can be attributed to the Greek civilization and its many contributions. Many of the philosophies, sports, arts and even medical treatments have their beginnings from the Ancient Greek traditions. Contributions to our current civilization still continue to exist today.
I would say that the biggest influence Ancient Greece has had in the current world is that of government. The first known democracy was created in Greece and gave political power to the citizens. Ancient Greece gave the world such philosophers as Aristotle, Plato and Socrates. The great Greek Hippocrates is referred to as the father of medicine and his name is where the Hippocratic Oath came from. Many aspects of today’s society have been affected by the ancient Romans.
Through their creation of law, development of democratic government practices influences in language, literature, art, infrastructure, and city-planning are all areas where the influences of the Roman ideas can be seen. It was Hammurabi’s Code of Law that was the first law codes. One of the most important areas of influence was that of Roman law. The first law code in Roman history was the Law of the Twelve Tables, the precursor to the development of Roman law. In my opinion, it is difficult to say which civilization has had the most impact on the modern world.
Many things from both the Greeks and the Romans have helped shape the modern world and many things that are used today. From our current judicial systems, to our medical procedures, all these things came from these two great societies.
References Bentley, J. , Ziegler, H. , & Streets, H. (2006). Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History. New York: McGraw-Hill. Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages. Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean: Greece and Rome http://wps. ablongman. com/long_stearns_wcap_4/18/4646/1189584. cw/index. html.