Ancient Greek Influences Essay - 886 Words

Historians have long considered Ancient Greece to be one of the most influential societies on modern day life. Ancient Greece has inspired the modern world in five main areas: theatre, government, philosophy, art, and architecture. Theatre flourished in Greece, particularly in Athens, between c. 550 BC and c. 220 BC. During its beginnings theatrical performances were part of Dionysia, a festival held in honour of the god Dionysus. The plot of the plays was always inspired by Greek mythology, a theme that is still common today. Many modern plays and movies have been directly based on or incorporated elements of Greek mythology or simply mythology in general. Every play had a chorus, though the size and importance of it varied. The†¦show more content†¦Love also became a principle element of Greek theatre during this time. Greek comedy inspired much of modern romantic, generational, and situational comedy. Satyr plays blended elements of tragedy and comedy, and featured mock drunkenness, sexual props and costumes, as well as pranks and gags. Influence of the satyr plays can be seen in genre of burlesque, which involved elaborate, risquà © parodies of well-known operas, plays, and ballets. Modern comedi es, which typically involve practical jokes, sexual humour, and drunkenness, are inspired by satyr plays as well. Ancient Greece was one of the first democratic societies and has greatly influenced modern day governments. Although the Greek idea of democracy is different from what is practiced today, their ideas formed the basis for modern democratic governments. Prior the invention of democracy, citizens had no rights and there were no guidelines for who was considered a citizen. Democracy gave voting rights and the ability to hold office to citizens – free men born in Greece, usually landowners. Today’s modern democracy is accessible to all people and has a higher degree of organization and hierarchy, it still derives its basic prinicples from Greek democracy. The origins are Western philosophy and sciences are found in Ancient Greece, beginning with the pre-Socratic philosophers. These philosophers began to examine the world in a way that no one else had before; they wanted toShow MoreRelatedAncient Greek Influence On The Modern World1442 Words   |  6 Pages Ancient Greek Influence on the Modern World Knowledge of ancient Greeks is still influencing the modern world through their advancement and development of government, military, sciences, mathematics, art, and architecture. Centered around perfection of the mind and body, ancient Greek society can be seen through these various areas of their society. The ancient Greek society began with having monarchies and oligarchies, but in 510 AD Athens would create the first democracy (Carr). 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