The classical civilizations that had the largest impact on the world's cultural development are Greek and Roman empires. Greek civilization continued the Egyptian priorities of art, literature, music, theater, architecture, and the sciences. The first major citizen participation in government occurred in ancient Athens, a powerful Greek city-state. All male citizens participated in the assembly, which determined laws and policies.
During the golden age of ancient Greece (500 B.C. to 300 B.C.), many great philosophers and educators such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle shared their wisdom with the world. For the first time, the improvement of the mind and body was viewed as an important priority for society. The challenge of improved physical fitness was the reason the Olympic Games were begun in ancient Greece. The Olympics as we know them today were revived more than a hundred years ago, in 1896, in Athens, Greece.
Eventually, the Romans conquered the Greeks, copying their architecture, art forms, poetry, and even some of their mythological gods. Both the Greeks and the Romans had maintained early people's practice of using myth to explain natural phenomenon like seasonal changes, flooding and severe weather, and success in agriculture. To make the myths easier to understand and appreciate , the Greeks and Romans both had gods with human attributes. Greek and Roman mythology has continued to exist even after our understanding of the universe has outgrown the need for story-like explanations.
While the Greeks believed in the fitness of the mind and body, the Romans were more interested in military strength and acquiring land for the empire. Thus, athletic competition and training for combat as a form of entertainment developed in Rome. The Roman government differed from the Athenian model as well. One, two, or sometimes three consults were chosen by the Roman senate, a group of the wealthiest landholders, or patricians. The vast majority of the citizens were plebeians-the small farmers, tradesman, artisans, and merchants.
Wealth and connections among family members thus determined position in the social classes within Roman culture. This status determined if a member of the society was considered worthy of having a vote. This system of government was called a republic. The lower class of slaves and the common class of farmers and tradesmen were limited in their rights of marriage partners and land ownership.
One lasting contribution of the Romans was the calendar introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. The old calendar had become out of step with the seasons, so Caesar made the months of unequal days and added leap years to make the reckoning more equal to an actual year. This Julian calendar, with some modifications, is still in use today.
GED PRACTICE
Civilizations Begin to Interact- EXERCISE 3
Directions: Read the following question and choose the best answer.
1. Which of the following is a feature only of the Roman civilization and not the Greek civilization?
a. athletic competition and training
b. military strength to fight off invaders
c. interest in art and music as entertainment
d. citizen participation in government
e. creation of an accurate calendar
2. Which of the following activities would not be an example of the Greek philosophy of improvement of mind and body?
a. going to an educational movie
b. taking a yoga stretching class
c. playing a computer strategy game
d. watching a football game
e. enrolling in a math class
answers: 1 is b. 2 is d.
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