Greek Culture Influence On American Culture

The United States is a country flourishing with culture and diversity from all over the globe. Many recognize the “Home of The Brave” as a “melting pot” meaning that all of the different cultures are thrown into a fictitious pot and are “melted” together to create a new and unique experience. That experience, which is referred to as American Culture. The diversity of American culture is evident in a multitude of ways. From our apparel and what we eat, to how we pray and the language we use to communicate, the foundation for our American Culture stems from the culture of other countries and civilizations (MacDonald 22). The most obviously influence area of American culture would have to be the Architecture of American culture. Out of all of …show more content…
It conquered and influenced over two million square miles of land starting from the Rhine River to Egypt and from Britain to Asia Minor, this civilization definitely has a knack for conquering foreign lands and leaving an impression to last a lifetime.
Architecture comes from the Greek word Arkhitekton which means Master Builder (Cartwright). Roman Empire influenced two types of theaters during their era. Those two Theaters were the Amphitheater and the Theatre. The Roman Empire took pride in all of their Architecture and when they wanted entertain, they held activities in what is known as the Amphitheater. Amphitheater comes from the Greek word Amphitheatron meaning “on both sides” or “around” There are there types of Roman Amphitheatre: The Colosseum, The Amphitheatre Campania, and the Amphitheatre of El Djem. The Colosseum is considered to be one of the greatest works of architecture due to its elliptical appearance, its capability to hold anywhere between 50,000- 80,000 spectators, and its use of a variety of materials to give it its unique style. Materials used for this included: Wood, terracotta …show more content…
A particular style that the Romans used was a style known as Corinthian Style (Richard 44). This style was named after the city of Corinth and was discovered by the sculptor Callimachus towards the end of the 5th century B.C. This style is very unique and typically the one the most people in modern times want to recreate. Corinthian style is very elaborate and uses detailed decoration (often acantus leaves) at the top of column and have a fancier base to stand upon. This style was most often used in the building of temples to show off the Greek culture and society. When using the Corinthian style, the buildings were built as focal points on the highest ground of every city. Some examples of Corinthian style buildings were The temple of Zeus, the choragic monument of Lysicrates, but the oldest known example is the temple of Apollo at Bassae (Cartwright). Fast forwarding to Modern Times, society appreciates the style and incorporates it in modern society. The best example of a Corinthian inspired building is the Capital Building in Washington, D.C. The influence of Corinthian Style inspiration can be seen at the East Front center portico and the West Front. But the influence of the Corinthian Style does not just stop at the Capital Building. It is reflective in the entrance of the Supreme Court Building.