Jenna Peon Paper #2 HUM 220 1375

Throughout history, successful nations have always learned from their predecessors achievements and mistakes. Contemporary society owes many of its practices to ancient Greek and Roman customs. Although elements of culture change from era to era, some inklings of the ancient world have managed to remain intertwined in the ways of modern civilization. One of the biggest influences that ancient Greece has had on the western world lies in the realm of science. Greek philosophers studied and practiced reason and inquiry to attempt to answer their questions about the essence of life and the world itself. These modes of research and study were the infancy of modern scientific thought and the findings of these forerunners became the basis for modern natural sciences, like physics. The Socratic Method, the system of inquiry used by the ancient philosopher Socrates, was the impetus to our modern scientific method. Not only our methods, but also our basic scientific beliefs, find their roots in the theories of philosophers like Pythagorus and Democritus. The idea of a spherical globe and the concept of atomism can be attributed to these two, respectively. Though the ancient Greeks paved the way for the scientific world of today, we have undeniably outgrown the confines of their sometimes simple-minded theories. Technology, of course, has played a crucial role in the expansion of science in recent eras and we can clearly point out the flaws in ancient theories with scientific proof. The discoveries and findings of the last few millennia have allowed scientists to build upon the knowledge of the Greeks to form our existing beliefs. It could be said that these early natural philosophers laid the foundation for modern scientific thought, even though our principles have changed significantly over the last 2,000 years or so due to continuing studies and discoveries.

The Romans are often seen as the children of the classical Greeks and they too learned from those who came before them. Contemporary democratic ideals are traced back to the ancient Athenians. However, the means of modern government (especially that of the United States) are owed to the second era of Rome, the Republic. Whereas the Greeks practiced direct democracy, in which every legally-recognized citizen had a voice and direct say in decision-making, the Romans modified this and practiced a representative democracy. This is much more comparable to the American government, where elected officials are responsible to carry out the sovereignty of the people. They also limited the powers of government offices by installing certain checks and balances into law, as many societies do today. Though the Roman Republic eventually fell to the rule of Augustus, many of its political and governmental ideals have remained intact. Despite the fact that many parallels can be found between the government of the Roman Republic and our modern-day representative democracies, numerous things have changed. Most importantly, there were a few stipulations to being considered a legal citizen in Rome. Only freeborn adult males were granted the title of citizenship and the rights which come along with that designation. Today, women and minorities are generally granted equal liberties and protection under the law and can freely participate in government and politics. Our laws and the repercussions of breaking them are not nearly as severe or merciless as those of ancient Romes Twelve Tables legislation. In retrospect, modern society borrows many of its cultural elements, including politics, world views, and the arts and sciences, from the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome. Some

things will inevitably change over such a vast expanse of time, but the contemporary western world clearly owes many of its ways to its European ancestors.