History Provides Us With Insight Essay

Furthermore, those people who did not speak Greek were referred to as barbar, the root of our word barbarian."[footnoteRef:5] [4: Ibid] [5: Ibid]

Question 3

There are many aspects of Greek culture and artistic traditions that have left their mark on civilization. These contributions included, their architecture, theatre and athletic competition.

Each one of these aspects requires a student of history to investigate and understand how these ideas have impacted human development.

Greek architecture stands out as a visual representation of how the Greeks preferred their living conditions. Greeks spent much time on the design of their buildings. Temples, a Greek staple, were adorned with many flourishes and exact proportions. Giant stone structures were placed in locations important to the region and as a source of pride. Besides temples, theaters and gyms were developed to provide a unique sense of community.

Ancient Greek theater is a lasting contribution of this society to the rest of the world. The Greek culture used theater as both a political and artistic expression of the people of that time. Theaters were often built on high mounds distinguishing them from the rest of the buildings. The plays acted in these theatres were of high quality and are still performed and studied today proving the deep impact of their influence.[footnoteRef:6] [6: AncientGreece.com. Culture and Society. ND]

The Olympics that are executed every four years around the globe is a remnant of Greek culture that still influences today's world. The Greeks believed that athletic competition was noble and provided useful ways to provide entertainment and display the prowess of their society. Wrestling, marathon running and other activities associated with modern track and field all spawned from Greek culture and still have a lasting effect on the way we view and understand the world.

Question 4

The most impactful of ancient Greece's contributions to evolving Western Civilization is the philosophy espoused by its great thinkers. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle serve as a trinity of great Greek thinkers whose influence is seen in many aspects of today's world.

Philosophy was king for these people and served as means to both religious inclinations and political ambitions.Plato's Republic has served as a how-to manual for much of the last two hundred years history of governments, while Aristotle's contributions to politics, logic and science cannot be underestimated as he is commonly referred to as the greatest thinker of all history.[footnoteRef:7] Aristotle's mentorship of Alexander the Great serves as fine example of how clear thinking and fair treatment could expand empires and conquer the world. [7: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ancient Greek Philosophy.]

Philosophy was essentially invented by the ancient Greeks as this practice has branched off into many other studies. These studies include religion, psychology, metaphysics, logic, aesthetics and many other important disciplines that have contributed to all successive philosophers throughout the past two millennia. Thinking itself became a priority and finding one's own place in the world was the endgame to the practice. This distinct Greek trait has contributed much towards the attitudes and politics of Western thought. America would not exist if it were not for the Greek philosophers.

The thought behind the Socratic Method, Aristotelian logic and Platonic relationships all come from these great thinkers. These thinkers believed that fraternity was the greatest form of existence and promoted this ideal to the world. Philosophers throughout modern history must all take the Greek philosophic way of life as the origin from their thoughts. Although some more disturbing trends from this era still remain in today's thinking patterns, such as slavery homosexuality and the importance of the republic over the wishes of the individual, this further attests to the strength of the influence that Greek philosophy has had over Western Civilization.

Bibliography

"Ancient Greek Philosophy." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. http://www.iep.utm.edu/greekphi / (accessed April 21, 2013).

"Culture and Society." Ancient Greece. http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Culture / (accessed April 19, 2013).

Polopolus, Leonidas. "Athens, Greece: A City State That Grew From OPtimality in the Golden Era to Excessive Urbanization." University of Florida. http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/kapparis/aoc/athens.htm (accessed April 19, 2013).

Sage, Michael. Warfare in Ancient Greece. London, New York: Routledge, 1996. (accessed April 19, 2013)......