We Are All Greeks

The modern “West” is a society which was built upon Judeo-Christian ideas and was heavily influenced by Greco-Roman ideas. English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley has gone as far to make the statement that “We are all Greeks.” Although we are not all ethnically Greek, “Our laws, our literature, our religion, our arts have their roots in Greek.”, as she asserted.
A “civilization” is characterized by having a political structure, a legal system, shared morality, writing and intellectual life, and organized religion, all of which the ancient Greek society contributed to the modern Western world. In her study of Greek civilization, Edith Hamilton stated “The Greeks came into being and the world as we know it began.”
The idea of “rule by the people” was one of the most important contributions made by …show more content…
Ancient Greek statesman Pericles was the leader of Athens 460-429 B.C. After a battle between Athens and Sparta during the Great Peloponnesian War, he gave a funeral oration to honor the Athenians that had been killed. He expressed the idea that Athenians must put aside their wants and strive for the greater good of the city, reflecting on Athens’ democratic constitution, one which “is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law.” (73). In a democracy, everyone is held equal before the law and all citizens are involved in politics. Thus, a certain type of citizen is necessary to make a democracy successful, one who recognizes that it is shameful to break all laws, even those which are unwritten or “natural”. Athenian democracy ultimately failed because people became less virtuous and society could not work without morality. Although this political structure did not last long, it set the foundation, and continues to influence, current