Ancient Greek Contributions to the Modern World

807 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ancient civilizations and their impact

Did you know that we are someone similar to some ancient people? Many things that we do or use today were actually created more than 2,000 years ago, in ancient times. There are many ancient civilizations that contributed to this, but I think that the Ancient Greek contributed the most to the modern world. They started the Olympics, theater, and democracy all of which we use today. Imagine how different our country’s government would be if the there were no democracy. All these inventions show that the Ancient Greek were very advanced for their time.

Firstly, the Ancient Greek civilization started the Olympics in order to honor their god Greek god Zeus. It was held in Olympia, Greece and started in 776 BC and ended in 393 AD because it was banned. One of the original events that they had included a 200m race, something that we still do today all around the world, and not only in the Olympics. There are many other events that …show more content…

It was started in 534 BC and they would hold the event in a huge semi-circle building called the Theatron. They started the festival by honoring their gods. Men would perform songs and there would also be plays. In the early stages of theater, they would sometimes be limited to three actors, and as the play got more popular, they would be able to have more actors. Just like today, there would often be music played. Now, theater events are held indoors, but we still have the seating arranged in a similar way. If we never had theater then we would’ve never had a school play, ;band, chorus, and orchestra concerts; dance recitals, or broadway. According to TCG Circle, theater allows us to express ourselves and develop our creativity. It can also make you less shy, and more social. Theater can help you make friends. Theater used to be a lot more popular before technology, but it is still popular, entertaining an “activity” or even a job for many

Show More
Related

  • Apoxyomenos and the Role of Athletics in Ancient Greek Culture

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    Athletic events at this time were also closely related to the religious beliefs and practices of the Greek citizens. Each competition was devoted to a specific pagan god. For example, the patron of the Olympics was Zeus. The Greeks believed that the physical strength and ability of athletes was a direct gift from the gods (http://www.meiaconcerto.com/olympic/olympia/ideal_o.php, September 27, 2004). Therefore, each athlete competed not only in honor of his city-state, but also in honor of the gods.

    Read More

  • Athenian Influence on Modern Society

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cassian Harrison’s Greeks: Crucible of Civilization (1999) documents the history of ancient Athenian Greece between 570 BC and 460 BC. It was released as a three part series through PBS as a documentary of events through the lives of Cleisthenes, Themistocles, Pericles, and Socrates, as well as their contributions to ancient and modern society. Film scholar Bill Nichols qualifies non-fiction films as documentaries of social representation. Nichols states, “documentaries of social representation offer us new views of our common world to explore and understand” (2). Greeks builds a foundation of beliefs, practices, and events that can be directly linked to our modern world. According to Nichols, “The bond between documentary and the historical world is deep and profound. Documentary adds a new dimension to popular memory and social history” (2). Analysis of Harrison’s film allows us to understand how Greeks gives tangible representation to the world we already inhabit and share, makes the stuff of social reality visible and audible in a distinctive way, and gives a sense of what we understand reality itself to have been, of what it is now, or of what it may become.

    Read More

  • Greek Influences on Western Civilization

    340 Words  | 1 Pages

    It is always important to look to the past in order to move towards the future. This was done in the formation of Western Society, and more specifically the formation of American society. The Greek culture served as a frame of reference for many aspects of Western life including government, architecture, math and the arts. Ancient Greek culture served as a very broad base for our society to be built upon.

    Read More

  • Dbq: Ancient Greek Contributions

    1448 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Ancient Greek contribution ranged by the 1900-133 BC, however its influence on the Western Literate Society lasts to this day. As the Greeks expanded their empire, they spread their ideas to other countries, while also borrowing from other cultures. During this period of time, the Greeks made many significant and long-lasting contribution to our modern culture in Philosophy, Art, Democracy, Drama, Math, and Science. These givings of important ideas, inventions, and structures have had an extraordinary influence on the surrounding environment, society, and in the future. The essential contribution of Greeks to the Western Civilization are Democracy, Art, and Philosophy.

    Read More

  • Ancient Olympics

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Ancient Greek Olympics were not only sporting events, it was a celebration to honor the great and powerful Zeus. The Ancient Olympics were held every four years at the famous Olympia, a district of Elis, here all free Greek men were allowed to compete. The first record of the Olympic Games was held in 776 B.C. The main sports were the Pentathlon, the Equestrian Events, Pankration, and Boxing.

    Read More

  • How Did The Greeks Contribute To Western Civilization

    233 Words  | 1 Pages

    I think that the Greeks contributed more to the civilization, because they influenced much of the Western civilization. They were very intelligent they created a lot of artwork. The Greeks contributed to most of the things today. They were great in sculpturing and they created Greek philosophy and Science. They trained many of the upper class males: mental, moral, and physical excellence to eventually lead their households. All the students were males and they taught the most significant of these were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Alexander the Great made the most significant person in the Greek civilization.

    Read More

  • Repression In The Handmaid's Tale

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale explores through the portrayal of dystopian state, the shocking notion that the choice to take or abandon action in the present can transform the future. Dystopias portray an idealised world and paradigm of social excellence, which once scrutinised exposes an artifice of oppressive societal control reflecting the imperfections of social mechanisms and the simultaneous inadequacies of the human condition. Through her depiction of a chauvinistic totalitarian state, Atwood investigates the appalling complications and consequences of the dystopian construct, specifically through repression, the loss of personal choice in shaping one's future, and the consequent loss of identity.

    Read More

  • Contributions to Western Civilization Made by Ancient Greece and Rome

    2014 Words  | 5 Pages

    The ancient Greeks and Romans were perhaps two of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world. These two civilizations thrived in their ancient environments, which eventually led to a vast amount of prosperity within these two cultures. It is because of this prosperity that these ancient cultures were able to make a variety of advancements in literature, architecture, art and a variety of other fields. These two civilizations also produced some of the ancient world’s greatest writers, leaders, and philosophers. The cultures of ancient Greece and Rome made a number of contributions to western civilization in the form of advancements in literature, architecture, art, government, and philosophy.

    Read More

  • Modern Life Influenced by Greeks and Romans

    1132 Words  | 3 Pages

    Could you imagine life in the United States today without concepts like democracy, libraries, the alphabet, art, philosophy, mathematics and certain architectural features? (Anonemuss, 2010) Everyday life would be completely changed without these innovations as well as many others. So where did we get these ideas from first? Well it dates back to the Greeks and Romans. Many aspects of modern life have been influenced from their cultures, ideas and inventions. Then there is also the question whether classical Greece or classical Rome influenced the contemporary United States more. In my opinion Classical Greece has had more of an impact on our lives. In fact it had been stated that the Greeks are considered the first group of people from ancient civilization in which our society feels like they can connect and relate t. (Kreis, 2000)

    Read More

  • Greek And Roman Influence On The Modern World

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    The world we live in is known as the present. They call this the present because every day is a gift. With each passing day, the world seems to be changing and evolving forming new ideas and new ways of living, but we live in a society of repetition. From the trend in recent fashion resembling a day in the 1990s, to the reboot of past hit television shows such as Will and Grace it is as if we strive to never fix anything that is not broken. The concept of reliving the past is best viewed through the inspiration the world draws from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Specifically, the modern world is influenced by ancient Greece and Rome through the aspects of the arts, technology, and culture in a way to relish in their past fame and portray

    Read More

  • How Did Ancient Greece Influenced Modern Sports

    502 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Olympic Games were started by the Greeks a long time ago. It was in the honor of Zeus, the kings of the gods and were part of a religious festivals. They started in 776 B.C. The games were held every four years in Olympia, which is located in southeast Greece. People came from all around Greece to take part or just watch the games. Events in the Ancient Olympic Games were boxing, chariot racing, riding, pentathlon, discus, javelin, jump, running, and wrestling. Events in modern Olympic Games are swimming, diving,

    Read More

  • Ancient Olympic Flag

    1289 Words  | 3 Pages

    Olympics The first Olympics were the ancient Grecian games held in 776 BCE, which means Before Common Era. The games were stopped in 393 CE, which means Common Era, and didn't start again until 1896. According to legend, the ancient Olympic Games were founded by Heracles (the Roman Hercules), a son of Zeus. Yet the first Olympic Games for which we still have written records were held in 776 BCE (though it is generally believed that the Games had been going on for many years already).

    Read More

  • What Is The Significance Of The Olympic Games Essay

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most at times do not really realize how important history and its events greatly influence the way we live and what we do today! Every four years we celebrate the beginning of something that was brought up long ago, the Olympics! This great event in which, now the whole world participates in started way back in the year 776 BC. It started from people playing for the God Zeus to people playing for their country and a medal, the Olympic Games sure did evolve as the time and beliefs changed.

    Read More

  • Sports In Greek Sports

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before the Olympics was the Pythian games, which took place in a Delphi stadium every four years. They began in 586 B.C and lasted five days to honor the Greek god, Apollo the god of music, for defeating the Python (Miesfeldt,

    Read More

  • Olympic Games

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Olympic Games were a vital part of Greek culture which was heavily influenced by athletics. Today, the Olympic Games are the world's largest presentation of athletic skill and competitive spirit. Thousands of athletes and spectators participate in this universal event. Revived in 1896, the Olympic Games had their beginnings in ancient Greece, and since then the event is very much comparable to modern Olympic events.

    Read More

More about Ancient Greek Contributions to the Modern World

Open Document