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| − | The Ancient [[Greece]] and Western Culture.
| + | Ancient [[Greece]] has had an enormous amount of impact on culture in the western world. Some of the first works of literature in the west of which we have record come from Greece, and although they were created at a time after older works from [[Mesopotamia]] or [[China]], such epic poems as the ''[[Iliad]]'' and ''[[Odyssey]]'' have exerted wide influence over generation after generation of western thinkers. |
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| | + | Greece was home to many other "firsts" in the [[humanities]], such as the first [[history]] and [[historian]], [[Herodotus]], the first practitioners of [[mathematics]], many developments in [[political science]] including the creation of [[democracy]] and [[republic]]s (albeit in [[oligarchy|oligarchic]] form), and virtually the whole of the fundamentals of classical western [[philosophy]], as found in the works of [[Plato]] and [[Aristotle]]. Much of [[architecture]] has its roots in Greece, as well. |
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| − | '''For what would you thank the classical Greek civilization? '''
| + | It is difficult to fairly ascribe to Greece the roots of [[science]], since science as a recognizable discipline only became distinguishable rather recently, but for most of history what we consider science has been entwined with philosophy and politics, and in that form the Greeks (particularly [[Archimedes]]) were once more the progenitors. To this end, they created the first [[siege engine]]s, the first [[alarm clock]], and many other inventions. |
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| − | Many things, such as the first great [[literature]] in the [[Iliad]] and [[Odyssey]]; the first historians, geometry, the first stone throwing catapults, international sporting events, trial by jury, alarm clocks and, perhaps most importantly, [[democracy]].
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| − | For creating the concept of trial by jury. Instead of one man deciding whether or not the accused is guilty, a group of non-partial peers make the decision. As long as the accused was male and a free citizen. The rest, women, slaves, children, foreigners etc., were simply stoned to death.
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| − | … and a defense attorney.
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| − | The insightful literature of [[Plato]] and [[Aristotle]], especially The Republic, which I have read several times... and the whole [[Greek Philosophy]]
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| − | I think that by creating a good language ([[Greek]]) and having [[Alexander the Great]] conquer most of the known world really paved the way for [[Jesus]] and mode it possible for the [[Gospels]] to spread through most of [[Europe]].
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| − | I would thank them most for giving us Aesop’s Fables because I love reading them. They are excellent stories with a good moral teaching at the end.
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| − | I would like to thank the classical [[Greeks| Greek civilization]] for their [[architecture]].
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | Traditional Western Culture is said to have been created by three main historical factors: ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, and Christianity. As such, it is also known by the terms "Greco-Roman culture", " Judeo-Christian culture", or "Judeo-Hellenic-Christian culture". [http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Western:culture.htm]
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | ''[[Herodotus]] is often named the "Father of History" ( history, in Greek, means "investigations"). Herodotus wrote the first Western historical chronicle, describing the Persian war. [[Hippocrates]] is known as the "Father of Medicine". He was the first to do a treatise on human anatomy and bodily ailments. He also wrote an oath, known as the Hippocratic Oath, which lays out ethics for physicians and which is still in use today... The Greeks also invented tragedy, the basis of modern plays, skits, and movies. Comedy made its appearance with [[Aristophanes]]. '' [[Ibidem]]
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| | == See also == | | == See also == |