Greece : A Non Unilineal Culture

Erudition, innovation, sophistication, every word and thousands more are associated with the name Greece. Steeped in complex lore, mythology, and history, it stands as a turning point in European culture. Its ideas and inventions are responsible for shaping many future events and turning the tide in science, art, and philosophy. At one time a group of city states, Greece was dominated by two centers a cultural one, Athens, and a military one, Sparta. Athens is probably best known for its playwrights, its philosophers, and the Acropolis. Sparta on the other hand is remembered as a military marvel where courage was the highest virtue. Legend tells that it had no walls for its best and only defense was its citizens’ valor

When exploring each of the specific elements that make up the Greek culture, one can see that their history of religion is vast. To understand the religious practices of the Ancient Greeks, we must first begin to examine the cultural practices. I will be describing Greek religion as it was practiced in the Archaic and Classical Period, which ranged around 800 B.C. to 323 B.C. When discussing the Classical Period we enter the realm of polytheism which has no attachment to church or body of dogma. Although the Greeks believed in multiple gods, there was no denying that the conduct of the gods was not all acceptable to Greek thought. The Greeks kept mythological stories of the gods at heart, but relied on having the ability to think rationally, or have ‘human reason.’ This was the Greek way and it was their idea of rational thinking. When it came to living, the primary aim of Greek life is health and goodness. In order to gain this, they had to have religious sacrifices. I would like to discuss these religious practices of Ancient Greek worship, sacrifice, holidays and burials because it is important to learn about and from one of the greatest cultures in history.

Ancient Greece is one of the most famous and important contributors to Western Civilization and the modern world. The Greek civilization only lasted around 4 centuries, but the Greeks civilization and ideas have formed and shaped the ideas and civilizations of the world for thousands of years. The Greeks strived for arête meaning being excellent in everything they do. The Greeks were in fact, excellent in everything they did. Greek culture is used as a reference for their democratic government, medicine, and sciences. Their literature, philosophy, architecture, math, science, arts, and religion are studied and used today all around the world. The Greeks were a very advanced culture, starting the first democratic government which most democratic countries studied to create their own government. They produce some of the most famous writers and philosophers, such as Plato, Aristotle, Homer, Socrates, Thales and more. Their mathematical theories and formulas are used in math classes around the world. Their architecture is still being used because some of their buildings still stand today and the beauty they were able to capture. They were great merchants, traders, and colonizers. The influences of Greek culture affected not only other cultures or civilizations but still impacting lives today. The Greeks were unique in the way they thought and in their actions. The advanced art and literature are being taught today in schools. Their philosophies are still being examined today.

The ancient Greeks, or also called the Hellenes, had a more westernized culture compared to other surrounding cultures in their time. Much of ancient Greek culture has influenced our culture today in America. They have influenced modern society through their religion, architecture, theatre, literature, society, language and sports.

Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, historically also known as Hellas, is a country in southeastern Europe, with a population of approximately 11 million as of 2015. Athens is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki. Greece is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Situated on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the northeast. Greece consists of nine geographic regions: Macedonia, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, the Aegean Islands, Thrace, Crete, and the Ionian Islands. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea

“Greek civilization is alive; it moves in every breath of mind that we breathe; so much of it remains that none of us in one lifetime could absorb it all.” Ancient Greeks are known to be one of the greatest and most advanced people and have left behind a legacy that helped define the Western civilization. Cultural diffusion helped spread Greek culture all over the world, and its effects can still be felt today in almost every aspect. Greek culture has greatly affected different parts of my daily life including architecture, food, government, inventions, music, religion, and education.

From my basic knowledge of what college life is about, I assume most people join a sorority or fraternity to become close. What these people want to become close to in specific, I do not know, but I will like to figure out why through a strict research of the topic at hand. I infer most of the time people join the Greek life to become better connected to several people from the same gender. Because many high school relationships do not last long, joining will be an excellent idea for more student relationships in a friend group to last a lifetime. By getting to live with a cluster of people for a long time, I think the group will become quite close. Having closer friends will lead to a sisterhood or brotherhood being formed. Does living with a large group of people for an extended amount of time drive someone insane or rather bring someone to a deeper understanding of a friendship? Will joining a sorority give me

There are more than 2,000 large and smaller Greek islands scattered both in the Aegean and the Ionian Sea. Most of them are located in the Aegean between the mainland and Turkey. The largest Greek island is Crete and the second largest is Evia. Lesvos and Rhodes come next. Some of the most famous islands are Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Crete, Zakynthos and Corfu. The religion of Greek people is an important aspect of the Greek culture. The Greek population in mainland Greece and the Greek islands is Christian Orthodox per 98%. The religion of rest of the population is Muslims, Catholic and Jewish. Greece and Russia are the only countries to have such a great proportion of Orthodox population.

The Persian Empire created the most spectacular feats of engineering the world has ever seen. The engineers had built outstanding palaces, roadways, and canals in the desert, the Suez Canal being one of the most remarkable inventions However, an ancient conflict with Greece burst into an epic encounter that changed the course of its history and shaped the Western world for thousands of years.

Growing up my yaya told me contently “Eíste Éllines, ton politismó mas, eínai to palaiótero kai pio agní deíchnoun to páthos, deíchnoun yperifáneia.” Which I quickly learned roughly translates to “You are Greek, you are the best, claim it, be proud.” Being Greek is like being the proudest group of people in the world and telling everyone you meet that you are in fact Greek and because you are Greek almost all Western cultural traditions can be traced back to the Greek—Greece is the birthplace of Western culture and we are proud of it. Now if all you know about the Greek culture is what you have seen from the “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” franchise, you are a bit misinformed but that is fine—the franchise did get a few concepts about Greek

Ancient Greece has contributed many ideas to help shape western civilization. Through their social ideas, Ancient Greece created established social classes which formed the foundation for social classes that are still used today. Politically, Ancient Greece contributed democracy and the idea of shared power. Through their culture, Ancient Greece shared their architectural ideas, which are still seen in many buildings today. All of these ideas have been passed down through generation and are still seen today. Socially, politically, and through their culture, Ancient Greece has helped lay the foundation for the development of Western Civilization

Contemporary Greek culture and traditions are rich and diverse. This rich and chaotic past greatly influences current lifestyle, the Greek perspective on the world, Greek music, food, customs, and traditions, even the way Greek do business.

In conclusion Greece's advances where more then beneficial to today's western society, and without the Greece's notable epistemologists, teachers, and engineers there's no telling where western culture society would be today. From their revolutionary naval techniques, to their surprising amount of hard work and teamwork, they seemed to create the perfect platform to grow upon. It's evident all throughout time and history. Now more than ever we see as Americans see the predominance that Greece has upon us. It's been said that history tends to repeat itself, but without ancient Greece would there even be anything to

Even in ancient Greece, marriage was a spiritual and legal ceremony. The spiritual and legal ceremony was really considered to be a transaction among two men. The ancient Greek woman had no say in who she could marry. The woman was given away by her father to her husband.

Local cultures are sustained through customs. An example would be preserving the culture through food. Easter is a largely celebrated holiday in Greece and with a big celebration, comes an even bigger meal to end the day. Typical dishes served are whole, slowly roasted lambs, red-dyed eggs, braided sweetbreads (known as tsoureki), an Easter soup called magiritsa, and grilled tripe rolls (kokoretsi). Greeks also preserve their culture by the way they dress. During the holidays there, you’ll meet locals dressed in traditional costumes. In western Crete, the older men still proudly sport their high boots, breeches and black-tasselled kerchiefs; on the island of Karpathos, the women have two sets of costumes, a simple one for every day and a very