Ancient Greece and Its Influence

Ancient Greece: The Most Influential Civilization Throughout history, civilizations have had many forms of government and many styles of art and architecture. But despite some fantastic architecture and some legitimate forms of government, no civilizations have influenced today’s government, art and architecture quite like the ancient Greeks. The Greeks invented democracy, which is the common government of the twenty-first century. Also, the Greeks were the first to create detailed sculptings and utilize the column, the same columns, in fact, that line the White House today. While some civilizations have also created awe-inspiring architecture, they have not been as influential as the ancient Greeks. Although other civilizations have made contributions to twenty-first century life, none have done more than the Greeks. Their detailed art, stunning architecture and revolutionary idea of democracy have become staples in modern society. While other works of architecture have been prominent, no contributions have topped that of ancient Greece. Previous to the Greeks, art was primitive. It consisted of just simple pastel drawings or basic sculptures. The Greeks, without a doubt, revolutionized art. For the first time in history, great diligence has been offered in the area of fine details and perfection. John Boardman, a renowned professor of ancient Greek art said “Greek artists of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C attained a manner of representation that conveys a vitality of life as well as a sense of permanence, clarity, and harmony” (Boardman 3). Greek art helped initiate the Greco-Buddhist art movement. Also, Greek art has directly influenced and inspired Michelangelo. Not only was the level of detail unprecedented for the time, but also the architecture of the sculptures was truly remarkable. The balance of weight needed to achieve every piece is beyond unthinkable. This is also the first time people have ever been sculpted in motion. For example, the