Glorybel Diaz
Professor William Lipkin
History 121 - INE1
12 July 2016
The Shaping of Western Civilization by the Greeks and Romans
Western Civilization is the embodiment of the Greek and Roman cultures. The contributions of these societies have shaped Western Civilization. Greek and Roman cultures were similar because Romans admired the Greeks and incorporated many of their ideas, art styles, and religious beliefs into their own culture. Romans spread much of this throughout Eastern Europe. The contributions of these societies include politics, religion, the Olympics, architecture, medicine, language, and literature. Each of these contributions will be explored briefly.
Politics developed because of the Greeks and Romans. Politics are …show more content…
The following describes the use of Greek architecture: “Corinthian columns are the most ornate, slender and sleek of the three Greek orders. They are distinguished by a decorative, bell-shaped capital with volutes, two rows of acanthus leaves and an elaborate cornice. In many instances, the column is fluted. Columns in this style can be found inside and outside of the buildings on Capitol Hill, including the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court Building, the Russell Senate Office Building, the Cannon House Office Building and the Library of Congress” (Corinthian Columns par. 1). “The Capitol Rotunda was intended to recall the Pantheon, the ancient Roman temple” (Capitol Hill Neoclassical Architecture par. …show more content…
The Greeks had an intense love of intellectualism and rational thought much of which is seen in various literature that survived. Many great poets that are still enjoyable to read today came from Greek Culture. One of the greatest was Homer, who wrote the epic poems, Iliad and The Odyssey. Though these poems were about historical events from the Bronze Age, they reflect Homer’s societies from half a millennium later. This makes them valuable to historians though they have to decipher what is from Homer’s time and what is actually from the historical time that is being spoken of (Cole & Symes 77). Many of these stories still read and discussed in classrooms all over the world. Other literature that has survived the times are from Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They were three great and still well-known Greek philosophers. Socrates called himself a philosopher, a Greek word meaning "lover of wisdom". Plato’s writings examine concepts of freedom, of conscience, the nature of reality, the existence of the soul, and the ideal government. Aristotle wrote about subjects such as logic, ethics, political theory, rhetoric, and biology. One of the most influential Roman orators was Cicero. His teachings of virtue being happiness and tranquility of mind were based on Stoic premises. His prose style was elegant and “became the standard model for Latin composition: students learning Latin today still
Professor William Lipkin
History 121 - INE1
12 July 2016
The Shaping of Western Civilization by the Greeks and Romans
Western Civilization is the embodiment of the Greek and Roman cultures. The contributions of these societies have shaped Western Civilization. Greek and Roman cultures were similar because Romans admired the Greeks and incorporated many of their ideas, art styles, and religious beliefs into their own culture. Romans spread much of this throughout Eastern Europe. The contributions of these societies include politics, religion, the Olympics, architecture, medicine, language, and literature. Each of these contributions will be explored briefly.
Politics developed because of the Greeks and Romans. Politics are …show more content…
The following describes the use of Greek architecture: “Corinthian columns are the most ornate, slender and sleek of the three Greek orders. They are distinguished by a decorative, bell-shaped capital with volutes, two rows of acanthus leaves and an elaborate cornice. In many instances, the column is fluted. Columns in this style can be found inside and outside of the buildings on Capitol Hill, including the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court Building, the Russell Senate Office Building, the Cannon House Office Building and the Library of Congress” (Corinthian Columns par. 1). “The Capitol Rotunda was intended to recall the Pantheon, the ancient Roman temple” (Capitol Hill Neoclassical Architecture par. …show more content…
The Greeks had an intense love of intellectualism and rational thought much of which is seen in various literature that survived. Many great poets that are still enjoyable to read today came from Greek Culture. One of the greatest was Homer, who wrote the epic poems, Iliad and The Odyssey. Though these poems were about historical events from the Bronze Age, they reflect Homer’s societies from half a millennium later. This makes them valuable to historians though they have to decipher what is from Homer’s time and what is actually from the historical time that is being spoken of (Cole & Symes 77). Many of these stories still read and discussed in classrooms all over the world. Other literature that has survived the times are from Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They were three great and still well-known Greek philosophers. Socrates called himself a philosopher, a Greek word meaning "lover of wisdom". Plato’s writings examine concepts of freedom, of conscience, the nature of reality, the existence of the soul, and the ideal government. Aristotle wrote about subjects such as logic, ethics, political theory, rhetoric, and biology. One of the most influential Roman orators was Cicero. His teachings of virtue being happiness and tranquility of mind were based on Stoic premises. His prose style was elegant and “became the standard model for Latin composition: students learning Latin today still