Greek Achievements

This paper focuses on the achievements Greeks made in: Arts, Science, Literature and Philosophy. This paper examines each subject of achievement in detail while looking at ancient Greek civilization. In regards to the Greeks achievement in Art, this paper looks at: what was considered Art in Ancient Greece, Famous Greek art pieces, different forms of Art like: Pottery, Sculpture, The Human Body and Architectural structures. For Greek literature, we will examine the alphabet, Greek writers like Homer, Greek Tragedies and Comedies, poetry and the theatre. In respect to scientific achievements, accomplishments in Medicine, Physics, Biology, and zoology are discussed. Details about the renowned discoverers and their discoveries are looked at, …show more content…
Sculptures were used for public memorials, offerings, markings for graves, as well as to represent ideals of beauty, honor, sacrifice and devotion. Statues were commonly made with bronze or marble and were commissioned either by noble or the state. Most Greek statues found are Roman copies due to the fact that once Roman conquered Greece they melted the bronze statues. Greek architecture is considered structural art; known for their columns and large temples recognized for the three architectural order styles: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Each order can be easily identified by their distinctive proportions and detailing. Doric order which was used for the Parthenon, has a sturdy yet plain style. Ionic order is thinner, more elegant with a scroll-like design, like the Temple of Apollo. The Corinthian order is the most intricate of the three and the most complex. Greeks achievements in art are respected and imitated by other civilizations for their innovations in changing the status quo when it came to their architectural column orders, pottery, sculptures and their lifelike imitation of the human …show more content…
Philosophers were either directly or indirectly concerned with science and medicine because of how they seemed to interlock. Both subjects nourished the mind and soul. The Greeks developed philosophy as a way of understanding the world around them and in doing so it helped them to understand science. They were the first to ask questions about nature, the universe and the really meaning of life. However, like many other early civilizations the Greeks did rely on Gods to rationalize natural occurrence that they didn’t understand like sickness. It wasn’t until the 5th century BCE, did they move away from these early medical ideas towards more scientific explanations (Dawson, 2005, p. 4-5). They believed that illness was a punishment from the gods, while healing was a divine gift. For instance, the Greek god of healing and medicine, Asclepios, was prayed to when people fell sick; he was portrayed holding a staff with a snake wrapped around. This staff is now used as a symbol for some medical organizations. This shows how the beliefs of medicine from ancient Greeks still influence the modern medical