The contributions of Greek and Roman society have heavily influenced the formation of Western Civilization, including the United States. These influences include the invention of democracy, medicine, and architecture - which all play a role in modern society.
One of the greatest accomplishments in Greco-Roman politics was the invention of democracy; the idea that all people reserve the right to have a voice in the government. In addition, the Romans invented republics - a society where citizens vote for representatives to control the government. According to Document 1, citizens of the ancient Greek city-state Athens gave citizens both rights and responsibilities. Pericles, considered a great leader of Athens, claimed, “We do not say that
…show more content…
In addition, their executive, legislative, and judicial branch influenced the American government, thousands of years after Rome’s downfall. The Greco-Roman contributions to democracy are undeniable, and heavily influenced Western Civilization.
Architecture was of utmost importance to Greek civilization, and modern engineering can be traced back to the original contributions of Greek civilization. According to Document 3, a distinctive feature of Greek civilization was the use of columns. It claims “Modern architecture is often modeled after Greek architecture. Look at the three pes of Greek columns, along with a photograph of the White House:”
The style of the White House resembles pillars designed by the Greeks. Ordinarily, traces of ancient civilizations were lost within time. However, the strong and sturdy design of Greek pillars in Roman times are still visible thousands of years after the collapse of the Roman Empire, which is displayed in the following image.
Therefore, it is evident that Greek architecture heavily influenced architecture throughout history - and unforgettable sights in the United States, such as the White House, use the Greek design millennia after the collapse of