Greek Culture Vs American Culture Essay

Greek and Roman culture have paved the way for much of American culture throughout history and current time. Whether it is language, religion, or architecture, ancient Greece and Rome are to thank for their contribution on many aspects of society’s daily lives in America society today, as the American political system was greatly influenced by these two civilizations. These two democratic systems had many similarities and many differences but without them there may not be the justice and equal democratic system that we have today. Although there were characteristics about their systems that ultimately failed, these two ancient worlds were very far beyond their time in many ways.

Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century BC in Greek city-states known as Polis. Polis can be thought of as of a community of citizens in which each city-state has their own separate culture. Of these, Athens was by far the largest comprising the city of Athens and the surrounding territory of Attica. Towards the end of the Peloponnesian War there was a slow alteration in Athens from a monarchy, which the aristocrats overthrew to …show more content…
The Roman Republic functioned like Aristotle’s ideal city-state, smallish, organic society with a network comprised of leaders who all depended on each other and stayed current. However In 450 b.c the “Twelve Tables” were established as the first written legal code. Formed basis for all subsequent Roman jurisprudence. Property rights were paramount concern and the tables defined circumstances of property repossessions and indentured labor/slavery. Although it did not solve a lot of their problems, it was a further step towards equality. In 367 B.C, patricians finally agreed to plebeian consuls and in 287 B.C, patricians and plebeians formally merged