Western Civilization

Western Culture stemmed from a fusion of various civilizations. The Greek and the Roman civilizations had some of the biggest impact on the development of the ancient world. What was different about these societies from other cultures within the ancient civilizations was their political and religious systems. As Rome conquered various Hellenistic cities, they captured the essence of Greek culture and melded it within theirs. Through influence of literature, architecture, and mindset, as well as expansion by principal leaders, the Greeks and Romans spread their culture across that of the Western world. The Greek and Roman civilizations differed from each other in ways, but were more alike than many other cultures. Persia, for example, was …show more content…
Eventually, four Hellenistic kingdoms developed through trade, merchants, and communication within all of these factors . As Alexander seized territories, he formed a plethora of cities. Greeks and Macedonians took interest in moving to these urbanized areas. Through this expansion and populating of areas, Greek culture was heavily spread into various cities. Cities often used the Greek polis for political systems and a grid patterned expanse incorporating Greek temples, roads, amphitheaters etc. to further develop the space. Not only did the cities transform, along with this, art and ideals reformed as well. Women in typical Greek society were not anywhere near that of men. They were very restricted. As Hellenism emerged, many more new opportunities were presented to women. Of course there was still some discrimination against women, however gradually they were given more and more chances to sell property, manage slaves, or even make loans . Women were soon permitted to receive education in the arts: literature, athletics, music etc. Art in the form of sculptures changed drastically in the Hellenistic world. Rather than classic emotionless statues, which originally were thought to portray perfection, the theory of realism became illustrated in art. Facial expression was depicted on sometimes older bodies to display the idea that everyone is …show more content…
Romanization is defined as spread of the culture and rule that one may worship other Gods but is required to worship the Roman Gods . Romanization was dispersed heavily through trade, much like everything else. Long distance trade over the many roads of Rome became a very popular virtue. The Silk Road was one major route for exporting and importing goods. Through this the Romans were able to obtain a wider variety of goods and traveling merchants continued to spread the Latin language and ideology of Rome. The people of Rome used many of the Hellenistic principals within their art which they traded as well. Besides this, they also incorporated pottery and brickmaking . As mentioned earlier, the Roman Coliseum played a major role in expanding the empire. Gladiator shows held in this massive structure were a staple of Roman lifestyle. The games brought the people together and created an atmosphere suited for both political and social functions. The victims being slaughtered within the walls of the coliseum were often seen as a threat to the city and their death got the people excited