Ancient Greece Legacy: The influence of the Ancient Greeks is still felt by us today. The major impact in our lives today are in the arts, in philosophy, and in science, math, literature, and politics.
The Important Legacy of Greece
The ancient Greeks have left the modern world many legacies, one of which is the many ways we have used their language to create our own. We have a form of democracy in Britain, and this is a Greece Legacy of the Athenians and their assemblies and councils.
Ancient Greece Legacy
Modern day English still use some of the words the ancient Greeks had created. Some of these examples are Democracy meaning government by the people. We have a form of democracy in Australia and this is a legacy of the Athenians and their assemblies and councils. Autopsy; means a postmortem or examination or a personal inspection and this was based on the Greek word Autoptes meaning eyewitness.
Theatre
Theatre the same word is used today and also most modern theatres follow the original Greek idea of a theater. Eureka; meaning I have found it or an exultant cry of joy at the discovery of something and this comes from the Greek Heureka meaning I have found it which was first used by Archimedes the great mathematician who died in 212bc.
Greeks invented drama written work performed by actors. Drama contests part of religious festivals; plays sponsored by rich citizens, selected by city leader. The Ancient Greeks played an important part in the development of the alphabet.
The first two letters of the Greek alphabet – alpha and beta – have given us the word ‘alphabet’.In 2000 B.C. Greeks create city-states in small fertile valleys along Greece rocky coast. Each city-state had its own government, a system for controlling the society. Athens was the largest and most powerful city-state in Greece.
Developed direct democracy Citizens could actively/directly participate in the political process.
Developed three branches of government:
- Legislative branch
- passed laws; Executive branch
- carried outlaws; the judicial branch
Settle disputes about laws.Two forms of drama: tragedy and comedy were invented by Greek. The tragedy is serious drama showing the downfall of an important character. Its themes included love, hate, and war. An example is Sophocles Oedipus Rex. Comedy is less serious drama; often made fun of politics, people, and ideas. An example is Aristophanes The Birds.
Architects designed temples, theatres, meeting places, homes of rich, sought beautiful buildings with graceful proportions. Most famous works are some of earliest epic poems of great events and heroes. The Iliad and the Odyssey, attributed to poet Homer, tell stories of Trojan War.
