Western civilization refers to that is presently called contemporary or modern society, which mostly consists of North America and Western Europe. Many agree that civilization resulted from the impact of prehistoric cultures while the two key ones comprise of Roman and Greek. The impact by Greeks mostly resulted from their Golden Age whereas the influence of Rome emanated from the boundless Republic as well as Empire. Regarding ancient Rome, it instituted the law code, such as the one that most countries use globally. The acceptance that an individual is innocent until evidence of guilt is confirmed emanated from laws of Rome. Rome comprised of senates, as it is the case with the present society, both lower and upper classes. Prehistoric Rome served as a civilization that grew from a small agricultural society. It stemmed from the Italian peninsula during 9th century B.C. This illustrates that civilization has existed for centuries. Thus, the paper discusses the contributions that the Romans and Greeks had on civilizations evident in the Western world today.
During the existence of the Roman civilization, it shifted from a simple kingdom before moving to the Oligarchic Republic then extended to the growing Autocratic Empire. In the event of the Roman Civilization, it grew is such a manner that it managed to dominate Southeastern Europe, Southwestern Europe, as well as the Mediterranean region via assimilation and capture. The Empire grew broadly in terms of territory together with different cultures. The Roman Empire is segmented to the classical era, which consisted of linking ancient civilizations of ancient Greece and pre-historic Rome, together defined as Greco-Roman Empire world. The Romans appreciated the rule they exercised while they appreciated the leadership of Greeks in areas, such as architecture, art, philosophy, and literature.
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Initially, the Romans exercised cruelty although also democratic. They practiced intolerance and barbarity while at the same time being intellectual and creative. During 2nd century B.C., the Romans captured Greece although they appreciated their culture. The learned Romans embarked on learning the language of the Greeks whereas the combination of the Hellenistic, Greek, and Roman culture lead to the emergence of the Greco-Roman culture, which is regularly referred to as classical civilization. This serves as the time that the literature of Romans and Greeks thrived. Prehistoric Rome played a critical role with regard to facilitating the establishment of art, law, war, literature, architecture, technology, language, and religion within the western world. Ancient Rome’s history as well as that of Greek still has considerable influence in today’s world. The Romans facilitated in linking traditional cultures with the western civilization.
Concerning the case of Ancient Greece, it influenced civilization in Europe while it developed in similar lines apparent in Asia and Africa. Greece served as a vital civilization that had major influence later American and European civilizations. Based on Mediterranean Sea’s peninsula, the mountainous terrain usually separated them from each other. As such, they were incapable of establishing a unified empire thereby forcing them to sail to allow reach the outside world as well as each other, thus leading them to emerge as wide traders and skilled sailors. The Greeks also established city-states, which were somehow distinct from each other somehow. For instance, Athens used to operate as a democratic city-state, which gained popularity for its culture and art whereas Sparta was known for its martial culture that kings ruled. Irrespective of the differences that prevailed between them, religion, sports, and common language unified the Greeks. They served as Western Civilization’s basis by offering different kinds of architecture, art, philosophy, and government apparent in Americas and Europe presently,
Alexander the Great also played a crucial role in spreading he Greek civilization and culture via trade as well as the diverse conquests he undertook in Palestine, Asia Minor, Greece, Babylon, as well as other segments in India. Whereas Alexander died during a campaign that took place in 323 B.C., the civilization he left expanded intermingled Eastern and Western cultures thereby leading to the emergence of the Hellenistic culture. The Hellenistic culture played an essential role with regard to fostering the survival and growth of Greek ideas while at the same time opening up Europe in such a manner in could link with other advanced African and Asian cultures.
In the case of Rome’s contribution, it also played a critical role in Western civilization. The development of Rome took place in 509 B.C. along Tiber River, which grew to become a strong city-state in Italy. During 270 B.C., the Roman Republic managed to control a considerable segment of the peninsula of Italy while it also instituted a sophisticated law system that presently serves as the groundwork for American and European law presently. Nonetheless, while Rome grew past the Italian peninsula to certain areas of France (Gaul), Spain, Asia, and Northern Africa, the government became unstable because of economic mayhem.
During 49 B.C., Julius Caesar, who served as a prominent General in Rome introduced his army to Rome while he wished to serve as a dictator with the goal of addressing the problems that Rome was facing. Caesar managed to institute various political and economic reforms successfully, although the Senate of Rome assassinated him because it feared that the Republic would end. His death led to the emergence of a civil war while Augusts, the great nephew of Caesar managed to emerge victorious as well as the initial Emperor of Rome. Thus, with the end of the republic, Rome emerged as an Empire.
On the Roman civilization, it continued spreading while capturing most of countries in the Western world. Rome managed to bring stability and peace to the provinces in conquered thereby leading the civilization to Advance. It comprised of broad paved roads, sophisticated architecture, complex government, plumbing, as well as various other kinds of advancements. Additionally, Rome is affiliated with Christianity and its spread to western world. It is believe that Jesus lived in a Roman Empire’s province, but was executed via crucifixion, which served as a common means of execution under the Roman law. Afterwards, the disciples and apostles of Jesus spread his message. Christians started creating problems for Romans because they declined offering sacrifices to the gods of Rome, although this served as a requirement among citizens of Rome more than once yearly. As such, the Romans would persecute Christians although Emperor Constantine supported the toleration of Christians in 326 A.D. Christianity has since spread to different countries in the world, while it is mostly dominant in the Western world.
On the contributions that the Greeks and the Romans made to Western civilizations, therefore, the Romans lacked the innovativeness of the Greeks, although the impact they had was tremendous as well. While the Romans contributed greatly to the civilizations, they adopted certain ideas from Greeks and modified them before transmitting in diverse areas of the Western world. In fact, in the absence of the Roman conquest, it would not have been possible for the ideas of the Greeks to reach the western world. The sense of social responsibility that Rome exercised in tempering with the individualism that Hellenistic Greece exercised played an essential role with respect to allowing the classical culture of Greece to reach the Western world. In this perspective, therefore, it is apparent that both Rome and Greece had tremendous contributions to the civilizations that are mostly apparent in the Western world.
