The Influence Of Democracy In Ancient Greece And Rome

The Renaissance was an important event in human history that caused us to realise how important being individual is. When the black plague occurred, it made people think that there may not be a god because of how tragic it was. Many important people such as Leonardo Da Vinci began making art and literature that were less religious and more in this world. Also the city states had changes that were necessary for the Renaissance. Without the changes Europe experienced we would still be under the rule of the church and be forced into a certain religion instead of being free thinking individuals.

The Renaissance, which is French for the word “rebirth” or “revival”, was the cultural bloom for Europe. Before this era, life was an everyday battle, facing warfare, poverty, and disease. Starting in around 1400 C.E and lasting until about 1700 C.E, the Renaissance brought about new philosophies, lifestyles, and ideas that changed the world forever. The Renaissance changed the way people saw the world and their place in it by focusing more on education and decreasing religion’s importance.

Both the Greeks and the Romans made a number of contributions to western culture in the field of architecture, many of which can still be seen to this very day. Architecture played a pivotal role in both the religion and daily life of ancient Greek society. The Greeks produced some of the world’s most enduring architectural monuments, many of which are still standing today. These include the Parthenon, the Temple of Zeus, and the Temple of Poseidon. Perhaps one of the largest contributions of the ancient Greeks to western civilization in regards to architecture was their development of the three fundamental architectural systems of design, the Doric, Iconic, and Corinthian orders. The following excerpt from an article

The Romans architecture was heavily influenced by Greek Architecture, in the way of columns and stone (Cartwright). The Coliseum is the largest of their structures, and Coliseum-inspired structures can still be seen around the world through football stadiums, or soccer stadiums. The Romans Pantheon inspired the Capitol Building, as well. The Capitol Buildings similarities to the Pantheon are so close, that the ceilings even look the same. Arches and heavy use of columns are both influenced by the Romans as well (Cartwright). The Romans were excellent architectures, and a lot of their larger structures are still standing, so it’s no wonder that they could influence buildings even

Democracy developed in ancient Greece due to warfare between Greek city-states. The social class became an important part of warfare. In the beginning the wealthy nobles fought because they had horses. As time

Ancient rome is often called the birthplace of democracy and for a good reason most of if not all of our basic ideas and principles related to began their own version of a checks-and-balances government that made sure nobody held to much power held by one person. It also gave people power in the building of government through by voting on the representative for the Senate.

Ancient Greece was the first to establish a democracy. In Greek democracy, every citizen was expected to participate or receive a punishment, but they had to be citizens, only twenty percent of Athenians were considered citizens, so only the free men could enjoy the rights and responsibilities that

Whereas Rome was divided into four different social systems: “Freedmen, Slaves, Plebeians, and Patricians” (Binns). In the Roman society, the women were not treated as insignificant individuals, as they were in Greece. Women were rather considered citizens, if they were not born into slavery, therefor they were not able to hold political offices or vote. They were both known for their architecture and contributions for some of today’s society’s buildings. The Greeks were responsible for incorporating three different types of architectural styles: Corinthian, Doric, and Ionic. Most of the Greek architecture inspired the Romans, who in turn adopted the Greek style however the incorporated arches and aqueducts into their buildings. Another architectural notation is that the Greeks chose to use statue figures to honor the human form, while Romans seemed to focus more on the actual technique and the building design. The Greeks used materials like wood, plaster, metals, and some marble to create their architecture. While the Romans did use some of the same materials as the Greeks, they were responsible for the new incorporation of concrete as a new building material, something the Greeks never had.

Both Greek Democracy and the Roman Republic contributed greatly to the development of the modern world, bringing into it the notions of democracy and republic. The evolution of these concepts took them to a level much higher than one present in Ancient Greece and Rome respectively. However, modern society continues to draw on somewhat idealized accounts of the ancient world for inspiration in improving today’s governing procedures.

Ancient Greek architecture dates from around 800 BCE when the site of Delphi first obtained a religious significance. The architecture of Ancient Greece has influenced the architecture of the past two millennia most significantly that of Ancient Rome (Hemingway, 2003). Greek architecture influenced Roman architecture in extensive ways, giving that the Romans adopted and incorporated many Greek methods and elements into their own practice. Although the Romans were inspired by the Greek there are still many differences in their architecture most noticeably through materiality. Although the Greeks constructed many types of buildings the most recognisable “Greek” structure is the temple. (Becker, 2015) As stated by Coleen Hemingway in an article for the Metropolitan Museum of Art “ the Greek temple best exemplifies the aims and methods of Greek Architecture”. Whilst exploring such architecture it is necessary to examine the mentality, religious beliefs and driving forces of each civilization. According to Stierlin “Unlike the Greek temple, essentially a structure for the play of light and shade, with little interior space accommodating a small sanctuary, Roman builders typically used arches, vaults, matching domes

The Renaissance was a period of time when Europeans experienced a shift in thinking. This “rebirth” led to a time of creativity in which they began to think outside the box instead of inside. It sprouted from the Dark Ages and led to the modern era. During the Renaissance, the Europeans began to adopt a new way of thinking that included the increasing presence of art and the idea of individualism, the decline in the significance of the Church, and the arising of the importance of education. The Renaissance was a great time of change that shaped the way that Europeans perceived their surroundings and the world.

American’s interest in ancient Greek culture develops when they sense that there’s a connection between them: “…the Greek War of Independence against Turkish domination aroused the sympathy of our citizens, who saw in the Greek struggle for freedom a parallel to our own War of Independence” (Downs 173). The parallelism is that they both have experience of battling for freedom from a controlling country. Another relation that makes the Americans appreciate the Greek culture even more is the archeological discovery showing Greece as the birthplace of democracy: “As the Greek Revival style unfolded and developed in the United States it became as indigenous to the soil of our system of law…and our democratic system of government, which was founded on the ancient ideal of individual freedom” (Downs 176). After studying and getting hold of the architectural idea and vocabulary, Greek architecture soon becomes America’s national style. The classical look of the Greek architectural are made up of three primary orders: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Doric being the oldest and simplest of the three: “The Doric order is characterized by a plain, unadorned column capital and a column that rests directly on the stylobate of the temple without a base…entablature includes a frieze composed of triglyphs and metopes. The columns are fluted and are of sturdy, if not stocky, proportions” (Becker 1). The Doric is best describe as the most understated style with a masculine appearance out of the three orders. Despite the simplest look of the Doric, it is the most popular. The Parthenon, also known as the epitome of Greek culture, is built under the Doric order. Famous works of the Doric order in the United States can be seen on the design of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C and the Justice Hall Building in New York City. Next is the Ionic: “notable for its graceful

Democracy, the form of government in which there is a rule by the people, is said to have originated and thrived in the classical period of Athens, from 500-350 B.C.. Democracy inherently gave all that were considered citizens power to participate in politics. That being said, it is highly debated as to how much power the people, also known as the demos, exercised in this democracy. Many practices and informal institutions can be said to have limited the power of the demos. The democracy in Athens could be said to have been a democracy in theory yet not in practice, as can be proven through a variety of primary sources recounting Athenian political institutions and practices. Such primary sources that can demonstrate this include Herodotus’ History, Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War, and Demosthenes’ Oration Against Eubulides.

The Romans and Greek houses were similar, yet different. The Roman houses usually composed of many stories, but many of the Greek houses didn’t, due to their lack of concrete. The Romans had many rooms in their houses, usually each for a specific purpose. Greeks, on the other hand, had many of their rooms dedicated to gods, and only a few rooms. Many Greeks had their houses made out of pebbles, clay, or mud, which had to be kept up, since it would wear away and disintegrate. Greek houses were planned around a courtyard with a garden and statues in it.

Greek and Roman architecture is truly amazing. They each had great ideas, and fabulous productions. It is said that the Pantheon is to Italy what the Parthenon is to Greece. Both are tremendous monuments that reek of culture and history. Each had a purpose which was displayed by the design and construction of each. There are such great meanings behind each of these architecural structures. The Romans and the Greeks alike worshipped and dedicated their structures and designs to the Gods and Goddess they believed in.