A large contribution of the Greeks was their idea of government. Law and order is something the Greeks were very particular about. Yet they also they also admired freedom, and despised corruption and Tyranny. In around the seventh century, we know about the first few popular leaders who unified the masses and overruled old aristocracy. These people were known as the tyrants. In Greek, tyrannos meaning “an autocrat who ruled without strict legal foundation, not necessarily a cruel oppressor” (The Western Experience, Tyrants and Tyranny). The Greeks loathed Tyranny to the extent that according to law; “If anyone rise up against the people with a view of tyranny… whoever kills him… shall be blameless” (Classical Greece, Democratic Government) …show more content…
There are several Greeks who came up with theories that we still use and believe in today. For example Democritus (c.460-c.370), he is the philosopher that came up with the atomic theory. This theory states that all things are composed of microscopic indestructible particles. Going back to Aristotle, most of his philosophies were based on demonstrable fact and logic. This approach on proving has given him the tittle of being “the father of the modern scientific method”. Another Greek who pioneered on science is Anaximander (610-c.547). He came up with the concept of earth being a body that is appended in space. The idea of the four elements (earth, fire, air and water) composing all matter is also a Greek concept created by the philosopher Empedocles (c. 493-c. 433). Besides science, the Greeks also contributed to the field of mathematics. One mathematician that this researcher would like to talk about is one who contributed something that student all around the world still learn about in modern day. Greek mathematician Pythagoras created and proved the Pythagoras theorem. The Pythagorean theorem the theory that a^2+b^2=c^2. The sum of the angle is a triangles equal to two right …show more content…
Ares is the name of one of the Zodiac signs. Also, a lot of constellations have names with Greek roots. For instance, the constellation “Orion’s belt” was created through the love story of Artemis, the Greek Goddess of the hunt and the moon, and obviously Orion, a mortal. The story of this constellation is technically begins with Artemis’ twin brother Apollo, the Greek God of the sun. Somehow, Orion got Apollo to be irritated with him and Apollo found a way to trick Artemis to shoot Orion with her famous symbol, a bow and arrow. Artemis not knowing that the person she had killed was Orion was devastated. Thus, Artemis shot him into heaven/space creating the constellation Orion’s
... middle of paper ... ... We can trace the origins of modern scientific trends back to Greek primal establishment. From the simplistic Socratic approach of ‘Who am I?’
One important contribution of Ancient Greek to the Western Culture is Democracy. The very term itself is of Greek derivation, meaning "People’s Rule". Unlike modern states which call themselves "Democratic". For example, Pericles Funeral Oration gave the greatest contribution to our today’s society. In .(Doc. 2) Pericles stated "Our plan of government favors the many instead of the few". Because of this quote it has contributed the society tremendously due to the fact that the democratic society is a direct democracy. Yet in a way, people have the power to overthrow other powerful representatives; Pericles Funeral Oration, gave us the idea of keeping the civilization as a democracy rather than Oligarchy, Monarchy, and many more. Moreover, Solon an Athenian tyrant discussed his thought about democracy. In .(doc. 4) Solon stated, "I drew up laws for bad and good alike, and set straight justice over each". Solon reveals that he has created laws for the good of others. He wanted every individual having the ...
Like the various forms of Greek art, the government of ancient Greece appreciated the individual by creating an environment in which individuals were free to express themselves. Tyrants like Pisistratus and Cleisthenes came to power to try and make the polis a better place for the individual. These tyrants reformed the state in many ways; they helped make it possible for the rich and poor to have equal rights, and they created the conditions for the construction of the splendid monumental buildings ancient Greece is remembered for today. Although not all tyrants were good, they all had one thing in common: they were all citizens of Greece, and ruled to improve the lifestyle of the citizens of Greece. After the end of tyranny, Greece had a democracy; a government ruled by the people for the people.
Athens’ governmental shift in 501 BC was unprecedented and innovative, being the first notable implementation of democracy in an ancient world inundated in monarchy. This form of government, founded by Cleisthenes, has been instrumental in Western Civilization, especially since the modern age. Democracy gave Athens life, providing not only a well functioning governing system, but also enabling the city-state to grow and survive multiple Persian invasions. However, at the dawn of the Athenian empire and the rise of Pericles, democracy began to die, and Greeks lost their love of freedom when they sought power and glory through their military conquests. I argue that Athenian’s rejection of democracy can be seen through their mistreatment of other states and their lust for power and glory.
Geometry, a cornerstone in modern civilization, also had its beginnings in Ancient Greece. Euclid, a mathematician, formed many geometric proofs and theories [Document 5]. He also came to one of the most significant discoveries of math, Pi. This number showed the ratio between the diameter and circumference of a circle.
The Athenians held many ideals about individuals, households, and government all of which affected Athenian reality. The Athenians utilized a government controlled by the citizens of the polis and their elected leaders. Athenians also valued justice, intelligence, and freedom as the basis of their government. Athenians treated women as the head of the home, when a man was absent. Individuals must be successfully educated and trained.
In Ancient Greek there were many forms of government that ranged from monarchy to tyranny. In fact there were hundreds of forms over the many Greek states during Ancient Greek. Some that were more popular than others but all that contributed to the world as we know it now.
There is considerable evidence for the praise of democracy in the Histories. An example of praise for democracy is Herodotus’s disregard for tyranny as a political system . Through the description of Peisistratos’s rule, Herodotus acknowledges the limitations and faults with having a tyrannical government. Herodotus describes Peisistratos rule as period of Athenians being oppressed, held down form being truly free, unable to reach its potential. According to Herodotus, even the best of all men, if they are presented with the power that comes with being a tyrant, that moral man will inevitably fall to power and corruption. Herodotus gives the impression that the Athenians under Peisistratos were oppressed and divided, because of this Herodotus, through evidence of Peisistratos’s rule, suggests that tyranny leaves the state in a weakened condition. However, Herodotus believed that in a democracy no one man can have absolute rule or power, so there can be no corruption of the law.
Athens in Plato’s time provides an apt description of turmoil and numerous political shifts in a short period of time. The Peloponnesian War ended with Sparta as the victor, while Athens became a picture of the devastation of the war. The disparity of Athens became heightened by an onslaught of the plague, the devastating loss of humanity, as well as economic difficulties due to of the cost of the war. Furthermore, the political arena of Athens became controlled by the Thirty Tyrants, who “appointed a Council of 500 to serve the judicial functions formerly belonging to all the citizens” (Gill). Critias and Theramenes, the leaders of the Thirty Tyrants, eliminated the powers of a democracy and began to rule as an oligarchy, executing any who opposed their rule. Plato juxtaposes the oligarchic regime with the concept of justice in his vision of a perfect society. He understands that the imperfections of the human need to be subdued or hidden by organizational efforts. Plato highlights structure and organization by dividing the population into three spheres: guardians, auxiliaries and producers. Each class structure is designated a task, the leader must make fair decisions and decide fairly amongst the population, the guards m...
These governments came in different styles such as a monarchy which was led by a king. Another form of government that was seen among the Greeks was aristocracy in which the polis was ruled by a small group of noble, land owning families. One of the more notable polis of ancient Greek was that of Sparta in which they used the oligarchy as there form of government. This type of government is where the people are ruled by a few powerful people. Finally, there was democracy which means “rule of the people” (The Legacy of Ancient Greece and Rome 1-7). This was the government that Athens utilized and helped establish. These varying types of government can be seen throughout governments today, however, it is the government established by the Athenians and their political structure that had a greater impact on the west than that of its Greek polis counterparts.
Democracy was a revolutionary development for the Ancient Greek society it was an innovative idea which gave the citizens of Ancient Greeks the freedom to participate in the governmental system and contribute in the processes and decisions, this in turn helped Ancient Greece succeed politically and economically. This democratic society not only helped Greece succeed in the Mediterranean region but also influenced modern day society. The Ancient Greeks succeeded significantly and were highly advanced for this period, the progressive thoughts and ideas demonstrated by individuals in this society contributed to the development of democracy in Athens which has become one of the most beneficial forms of government created.
Euclid and Archimedes are two of the most important scientists and mathematicians of all time. Their achievements and discoveries play a pivotal role in today’s mathematics and sciences. A lot of the very basic principles and core subjects of mathematics, physics, engineering, inventing, and astronomy came from the innovations, inventions, and discoveries that were made by both Euclid and Archimedes.
The Greeks system of democracy was an entirely new concept when it was created, and one that has had lasting affects as it continues to influence present day politics around the globe. Modern day democracies may very well not exist if it wasn’t for the success the Athenians had with democracy. Today we look back at these ancient civilizations and we try to better our current society by learning from their mistakes and building on their success.
Physics began when man first started to study his surroundings. Early applications of physics include the invention of the wheel and of primitive weapons. The people who built Stone Henge had knowledge of physical mechanics in order to move the rocks and place them on top of each other. It was not until during the period of Greek culture that the first systematic treatment of physics started with the use of mechanics. Thales is often said to have been the first scientist, and the first Greek philosopher. He was an astronomer, merchant and mathematician, and after visiting Egypt he is said to have originated the science of deductive geometry. He also discovered theorems of elementary geometry and is said to have correctly predicted an eclipse of the sun. Many of his studies were in astronomy but he also observed static electricity. Phythogoras was a Greek philosopher. He discovered simple numerical ratios relating the musical tones of major consonances, to the length of the strings used in sounding them. The Pythagorean theorem was named after him, although this fundamental statements of deductive geometry was most likely first an idea from Egyptian methods of measurements. With the help of his followers he discovered that the earth was a sphere, but he did not believe it revolved around the sun.
Obviously Euclid’s The Elements is by far the most famous mathematical work of classical antiquity, and also has the distinction of being the world’s oldest continuously used mathematical textbook. Very little information is known about the author, beyond knowing the fact he lived in Alexandria around 300 BCE. Subjects of works includes geometry, proportion and number theory.