Greece And Rome: A Comparative Analysis

The Classical Western Civilizations are a marvel to historians and people today as they look back on the everyday life and advancements in science, architecture, and ways of interaction between the citizens; more specifically those living in Greece and Rome. Greece and Rome are located on the Mediterranean and thrived from trade and agriculture. Many brilliant minds born from both empires lay the basis of knowledge for math, geometry, architecture, biology, engineering, government, science, and even history. When looking at Greece and Rome, it is clear they share many similar qualities, which leaves people to wonder where would America be without Greece and Rome. Although Greece has a significant impact on the United States, Rome’s democratic

To begin with, Greece’s architecture reflects attributes of the American government. Greece’s Parthenon built in 438 BC is structure of architectural beauty and one of the most advanced buildings of its time (6). In Washington DC, it is clear the architecture of the Capitol Building, White House, Supreme Court, and the many monuments resemble the Greek architecture exemplified by the Parthenon. Washington DC did not model their buildings after Greek architecture simply because of its beauty. The buildings pertaining to government are modeled after Greece because the government is also heavily influenced by Greece. More specifically, the goals and purpose of the Greece government heavily influenced the modern day United States government. Next, even though the Greek democracy had influenced the government’s function and morals, the Roman’s construction of their government is more relevant in the modern day America. “...it had three elements… and each of their respective share of power in the whole state had been regulated with such a scrupulous regard to equality and equilibrium, (1). The setup of the Roman government follows a system of checks and balances so one branch or person cannot possess absolute power. The modern day United States government continues to follow the system of checks and balances between the three branches, as first written in The Constitution. When one branch becomes too powerful, the imbalance in the government creates chaos, as foreseen by the first Romans and replicated by the founding fathers of America. Finally, the Roman architecture represents not only their strengths in math and engineering, but also policies instituted by the government to strengthen and beautify the empire. The Roman Colosseum built in 80 AD was a place for