Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece was a highly successful civilization that existed around the Mediterranean Sea centuries before the birth of Christ. This civilization has influenced modern governments, 2,000 years later, similar to the one which is used here in the United States. A democratic government relies on its people or citizens to vote and participate in politics. In other words, the people control the government through the use of representatives and through the use of a vote. To better understand our democratic roots it is important to start with historical developments in Ancient Greece - the first civilization to use a democratic style government.

Ancient Greece existed from approximately 750 years B.C. (Before Christ) and was conquered and assimilated into Ancient Rome at 146 B.C. During the 600 years that Ancient Greece existed there were 3 major periods. Historians divide the three periods into Archaic Greece, Classical Greece, and Hellenistic Greece.

Archaic Greece was a period that saw the beginnings of Ancient Greek culture. Classical philosophy, art, mythology, and academics find their roots in this time period. Furthermore, the rise of the Ancient Greek city states, called a Polis, similarly have their foundations during this period. The many Greek cities during this time were not politically united, which as a consequence, caused many distressed persons to move to neighboring lands to form colonies. This resulted in the spread of the basic Archaic Greek culture across the Aegean Sea.

Classical Greece was a period which most heavily influenced the modern western world. More specifically, Classical Greek art, government, science, philosophy and architecture is found throughout modern countries such as the United States, England, France, and Germany. The framers of the United States Constitution were well versed in the works and deeds of Cleisthenes, Solon, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Homer, Herodotus, and many other famous Ancient Greek scholars. It is a miracle of World History that the cultural themes found in Classical Greece, several hundred years before the birth of Christ, are found in today's western democratic governments 2,000 years later.

Classical Greece reached its height with the conquests of Alexander the Great. Alexander, a military ruler from Macedonia, spread Greek culture across the Persian Empire (modern-day Iran) into northern India and as far north as some of today's central Asian Republics. Furthermore, Alexander's conquests also ranged throughout the Mediterranean Sea region. One of the most famous conquerors in the history of the world, Alexander III of Macedon left the Classical Greek legacy across much of Asia, North Africa, and Europe.

After Alexander the Great Ancient Greece entered the Hellenistic Period. This era witnessed the decline of centralized Greek authority and allowed the slow transition into a time when the Ancient Romans would conquer and assimilate the Greeks. Although defeated by the Ancient Romans, Greek culture continued to thrive throughout the Ancient Roman period. The Ancient Romans utilized much of what the Greeks learned, so much so, that even the Roman Gods were copies of the Gods of the Ancient Greeks.