Top 10 Best Things to Come Out of Ancient Greece
Greece! The greatest foundation to influencing western culture! They had the ability to adapt and learn from others in order to develop their own civilization, and as a result, gave the world many advancements that we still have round today. Where would we be without the Greeks? Let’s take a look at the things they gave to the world.
Thanks to the work of Hippocrates, among others, Greek scientists and doctors tested symptoms and cures, and developed the first medicines using herbs, egg white, and opium. It was the first step in developing cures for deadly sicknesses at the time.
Yes, back then a lot of people depended on their gods to heal them, and it is obvious that didn't work. Hippocrates was the first to really challenge that notion.
Some Greeks had challenged the idea of the world and suggested that Earth was in fact round. Eratosthenes studied the shadows in two different locations and calculated the circumference of the world based on his observations. It took a lot of time before people came to accept these theories, but it was nonetheless an advancement in thinking.
All Athenians participated in government assemblies (okay, not all of them, but most of them). Majority votes would win decisions by a simple vote of hand. This developed into a jury system in which those accused of crime would be judged by their peers. This system is still with us today.
Sculpting was seen as an art back then, evolving from static poses to more dynamic results. It was a great preoccupation at the time and would later influence the art of the Renaissance period.
Socrates taught Plato, who taught Aristotle. Thinkers like these questioned everything they could and developed theories across the board that still have some form of relevance today in one way or another.
An obvious one. I still can't forget the fact that Plato is still ahead of his time.
A very important thing that was passed on. Another great list.
Greek architecture was undoubtedly ahead of its time. Stadiums, most famously the Parthenon, were developed for watching theatre performances and sporting events. They were large and welcoming to anyone wishing to watch the events.
Sporting competitions arose much earlier than Greek times, but the early Olympic Games are significant since we still host them today, albeit in a much different format. Back then, sporting competitions were hosted in honor of Zeus, and were fought out to win the gods' favor. It would take over 1,500 years for the games to be revived.
The Athenians were the first to develop theatre performance. Tragedies were common among plays, taking inspiration from Greek mythology. Greeks weren't shy of humor, as their comedic plays were said to be outlandish, with hints of special effects and musical numbers.
Thanks to Pythagoras and his geometric theorem bearing his name, and Thales of Miletus correctly predicting the next solar eclipse by measuring the shadows of pyramids, others used deductive reasoning to help establish geometry in the field of mathematics.
The first alarm clock was developed by Plato, which used water dripping through clay vessels which eventually caused air pressure to sound off a whistle. It's a long way to our modern alarms, but it was a revolutionary step for its time.
