Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The influence of Greek culture on the west
The influence of Greek culture on the west
The influence of Greek culture on the west
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The influence of Greek culture on the west
As Ancient Greek historian, Arrian, put it, “It seems that there was no nation, no city in those days, no person in a land that the name of Alexander had not reached.” Asia was no exception. In what is today northern Afghanistan, an archeological site called Ai Khanoum is a declaration to exactly how far Greek culture spread. It was one of the urban communities established by Alexander, and scientists have discovered Greek engravings and portrayals of Greek divine beings. One of the relics revealed there is a bronze statuette of Hercules, a saint Alexander accepted to be a predecessor. In Kandahar, there was also a multitude of Greek influence. It was a city with Greek thinkers, mediators, stone-artisans and instructors, where someone could …show more content…
The courts provided declarations to the cities, with the heavy style of Attic Greek. Greek rules also threaded themselves as authorities and were not permitted to hold office twice consecutively. They also were subjected to legitimate investigations as done in Athens. Greek law was administered in both private and open dealings and no statements would be for the remote eyes-only of an Aegean judge. Urban communities across Asia continued with stimulating Greek-style celebrations of show and celebrations of humanity and culture. No writings were kept secretive, but rather, in true Alexander-style, they were taught and shared by Ancient Greek philosophers and scattered all over this area. Sophocles studied in Susa, scenes from Euripides propelled Greek specialists in Bactria, comic pantomimes performed in modern Bagram, and Babylon used Greek theater. The story of the Trojan stallion was a much loved tale shared , with early Greek artistry being part of the tale. It was brought to life in modern day Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The works of Homer spread into India, and together with Plato and Aristotle, the Greek influence and principles that Alexander the Great once displayed in his …show more content…
Ancient Greek civilization has been colossally compelling on the dialect, legislative issues, instructive frameworks, rationality, art and architecture of the present day world. There are three main types of Greek architecture: Dorian, Ionic, and Corinthian. Doric architecture is sturdy and plain. It was used in mainland Greece and the colonies in southern Italy and Sicily. The temple of Poseidon at Paestum in Italy is a great example of Doric architecture along with the Valle Dei Templi, Agrigento, and the Temple of Juno. Ionic Architecture is thinner and much more elegant. It has a scroll like design and was mostly found in eastern Greece and other islands. One example is the Archaic Temple of Artemis found in Sleçuk, Turkey. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and was one of the most beautiful temples built. Gibbon, a Greek architect, said, “The art of Greece was seen in that sacred and magnificent structure. It was truly a wonder of the world.” The last piece of architecture, Corinthian, was very elaborate and often decorated with acanthus leaves. There are many examples of this work because it was so regal at the time. You can find this kind of architecture at the Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel, and in the Templo de Diana in Évora, Portugal; also at the Temple of Mars Ultor, Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, and even the Pantheon in Rome. Greek architecture was
The Parthenon in Athens, for example, is a dedication to Athena; the goddess of wisdom and the patron of Athens (OI). As depicted in The Parthenon at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece (Doc6), this architectural piece is shown to have Doric columns that have a cylindrical shape seeming to be plain but sturdy. In comparison to the Doric style, the Ionic style was more elegant as it was taller and more decorative; engraved with vertical lines and topped with a curved rectangular shape. The Corinthian design is similar to the Ionic design because of the elaborate designs at the end of the pillars; it features more detailed designs that seem to be based around nature such as the inclusion of leaves and flowers. There are many buildings today that include these types of columns in their architectural design mainly in monuments and government buildings. According to the depiction of the White House in Greek Architecture (Doc8), the columns of the White House most closely resemble the Ionic style. Greek architecture are one of the many important legacies that Western civilization had inherited, influencing many architectural elements and building types used in art and architecture
Alexander the Not so Great:history through Persian eyes by Prof Ali Ansari Paragraph 1 Page
Bury, J. B.; Russell Meiggs (2000). A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great
...r. "Ancient Greece." Gardner's art through the ages the western perspective. 13th ed., Backpack ed. Boston, Mass.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. 101, 123,129. Print.
"Unhandled Exception." Ancient Greece - History, Mythology, Art, War, Culture, Society, and Architecture. 2008. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. .
Greek architecture is one of the most commonly used and recognizable styles in the world. Many major cities across the world, both ancient and modern, used this style of architecture. There are many styles of Greek architecture, and these styles were created at different times within the Greek culture. During the time period when Washington DC was beginning to expand into a major city, there was a revival of Greek architecture. DC used a variety of Greek styles, which can be seen displayed in many of the most famous buildings in the city.
Alexander the Great is hailed, by most historians, as “The Great Conqueror” of the world in the days of ancient Mesopotamia. “Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great, single-handedly changed the nature of the ancient world in little more than a decade. Alexander was born in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia in July 356 BCE. His parents were Philip II of Macedon and his wife Olympias. Philip was assassinated in 336 BCE and Alexander inherited a powerful yet volatile kingdom. He quickly dealt with his enemies at home and reasserted Macedonian power within Greece. He then set out to conquer the massive Persian Empire” (Web, BBC History). It is important to note, which will maybe explain his brutal actions, that Alexander was only twenty years old when he became the king of Macedonia. “When he was 13, Philip hired the Greek philosopher Aristotle to be Alexander’s personal tutor. During the next three years Aristotle gave Alexander training in rhetoric and literature and stimulated his interest in science, medicine, and philosophy, all of which became of importance in Alexander’s later life” (Web, Project of History of Macedonia). “In, 340, when Philip assembled a large Macedonian army and invaded Thrace, he left his 16 years old son with the power to rule Macedonia in his absence as regent, but as the Macedonian army advanced deep into Thrace, the Thracian tribe of Maedi bordering north-eastern Macedonia rebelled and posed a danger to the country. Alexander assembled an army, led it against the rebels, and with swift action defeated the Maedi, captured their stronghold, and renamed it after himself to Alexandropolis. Two years later in 338 BC, Philip gave his son a commanding post among the senior gener...
Grecian architecture formed its own conventions in the ancient world, buildings in Greece were built with meticulous mathematic design. Great buildings were believed to be symmetrical, and perfectly proportioned [Document 7]. Another prominent aspect of ancient Greek architecture is the extensive use of columns. There were three basic types used, Doric which were plain capitals, ionic in which the capitals were fashioned after ram’s horns, and Corinthian which were made to mirror acanthus leaves.
Greek palaces and temples, consisting of massive columns, were built for the gods or other religious purposes. The temples found at the center of the polis, the acropolis, were made as earthen dwellings for the gods, a place for storage of sacred objects and offerings, and also served out tasks for the polis such as keeping records. Temples, along with other sacred places were sometimes only open to certain peoples or cults, and people who were not ritually purified or had “religious pollution” were not allowed to enter sacred places (Adkins & Adkins 338). The fact that the religion centers are in the middle of the cities symbolizes how Greek religion was central to Grecian life, it was one of the most important things to them. The temples also represent the architectural and cultural achievements of the Greeks. The magnificent style of these temples has influenced not only Greece but the whole world as Grecian columns have been a staple in architecture since there creation; this is even evident in the United States with buildings such as the United States Capitol, built hundreds of years after the establishment of Ancient Grecian architecture. Along with architecture, Greek art, most notably pottery and sculpture, was also influenced by religion. Greek pottery, depicting mythological and heroic scenes, and statues, portraying the human form often made in the image of gods,
Possibly one of the greatest testaments to the Greeks passion for their gods is the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens, Greece. “. . . temple after temple, each more gorgeous and more perfect than the one before, rose all over the Greek main land, to reach a final climax in the Athenian Parthenon . . .” (Hamlin 124). Here Hamlin explains the greatness of what was achieved in Athens at the Acropolis and how nothing beyond that point could compare.
The ancient Greeks developed a system of orders which were known as columns. There were three different types of columns and each had they own special twist, both structurally and appearance wise. The three orders consisted of the Doric order, Ionic order and the Corinthian order. One shocking fact was that the Romans used the Corinthian columns more than the Greeks did and they were the one that came up with them. Each order could be found in many different parts of ancient Greece. The columns were put into use by creating ancient temples. Since Greek life was mainly focused around religion, their temples were very big and beautiful (“Ancient Greece” 1).
The end of the Geometric period resulted in the beginning of the Orientalizing Period, dated between 700-600 BC. Within this time frame, Greek introduced a new innovation, the Peripteral Temple. For many years prior, a row of colonnade was used on the interior primarily to hold up the roof of the building. In contrast, columns are seen being used on the outside, creating a visual wall around the building exposing parts of the interior. With in the temple existed the megaron style, carried forward from Bronze Age homes. It was also in eastern influenced period, the first real stone temples, and terra cotta roof tiles came to exist to hold the weight on these new stone temples. The population grew drastically, introducing new techniques and styles, which blended to form designs with balance and symmetry. It was during this period, two major Greek designs were developed, the Ionic and Doric order. (Pedley, 2012: pg. 180) The Doric order, being the first and most simple, consisted of baseless columns placed closely together as the Greeks did not know how much weight the shortened columns could hold. Reason behind this was the lack of length in the columns were believed to hold less weight and therefore forced into being placed closer together. This closely set arrangement created a very bold statement in the Doric temple. The Capital, which sat on top of the concaved shaped shaft, was left plain but when grouped alongside others, suggested a bold harmony. In contrast, the Ionic order was less bulky and more delicate than the Doric order. The top of the capital is decorated with two scrolls, also known as volutes, which could have resembled a shell or animal horns. Above the capital, held room for a surrounding frieze depictin...
One idea or creation that the Romans used that was originally from Greece was the architecture. The Greeks created three different architecture styles: Corinthian, Doric, and Ionic. These Greek styles of architecture influenced the Roman’s Grecian style. The main difference between Greek architecture and Roman architecture was the use of arches and aqueducts in the Roman architecture (Difference Between Romans and Greeks).
In Ancient Greece, religion dominated their life, so it is understandable that their architecture would be dominated by their religion. Before Greece became many different city-states, they had kings, and they would build a room called a megaron to show they King’s authority. A typical megaron is a single chamber with a fire pit in the middle with a throne off to the side. This room opened up into a porch (portico) that had four columns in the front. After there were no more kings these megarons turned into temples. The fire pit, which turned into some type of altar or a place to show a sacrifice for that god, was now outside in front of the temple. The altar was now outside so people could see you make these sacrifices to their gods. The first Greek temples were made out of wood and were long rectangular buildings with a porch all the way around which was supported by columns made from tree trunks. A Greek temple consists of five basic parts: the pediment, entablature, columns, base, and the cella, or the inner sanctum. The pediment is triangular and would have a type of sculpture or ornament known as acreteria on each corner. An entablature consists of three parts: the cornice, frieze, and architrave, which holds up the pediment. The columns are the support between the entablature and the base. The base usually consists of three steps. The cella is the inner sanctum, which has different rooms with more columns for support. Each temple would have a cella but they were not identical.