There are a couple different key lessons that can be taken from the Greeks. One is the bravery showed by Spartans in battle. They are fearless and determined to fight and win every battle. While we the United States don't necessarily need to get involved in every war or battle fought, when we do enter one we should go at it 120% and see it all the way through with wisdom, deteremination, and bravery. Another lesson to be taken from the Greeks is the way that they would kill each other, backstab each other to get ahead. This unfortunately still exists in today's world and especially in the United States where everyone is out for themselves to get ahead and make the big bucks without caring about who they are hurting or the consequences of their actions. The United States as a whole should take a look at Ancient Greece and see how the destruction from within was the cause of the end of the powerful Greek nations and that if we aren't careful, we could head down that road of self-destruction.
2007-03-08 18:20:16
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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Perhaps a more relevant question is if what we abandoned was worth doing so. Many will answer this question with the term of democracy. Greece did have a democracy, as did other cultures, in one form or another. But, the voices making the arguments were those whom could do so. Those with enough time and sufficient composure to address and possibly convince their peers. Surely, this was the aristocracy of the day. This notion was not lost on the framers of the constitution that provided, initially, for a representative government where only the landed citizens could vote. Did we give up too much by giving anyone the vote? Possibly. I suspect that the campaigns for elections would have much more substance if it were not just a popularity contest for the masses. Can anyone say Paris Hilton for President? Only when dressed in pink!
There is also the issue of involuntary servitude. Greece, as many ancient socities, were largely built on various forms of the service. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? It did allow the time and energy to have the democracy that is so widely touted. Again, was this a good thing or a bad thing. Is the end worth justifying the means? Perhaps.
Finally, I offer that if you sum up the achievements of a society; any society; spanning hundreds of years into the "top ten list", it will all look very good indeed. The reality of life under the situation would not be all that endearing. Let's not look at greece with rose colored glasses. If one were to choose an ancient society to admire, do so of the romans. They have given us, collectively, the basis of the law and that remains today. But they too have their warts and that is the subject of a different question.
2007-03-12 09:22:04
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answer #2
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answered by A. 2
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What we can learn for the Ancient Greeks is how the hold leaders accountable and create a national identity. Our country, the United States, is so dived right now that everyone in the world is looking elsewhere for leadership. I think that some lesson from the Ancient Greeks would do our country well. First of all, and probably the idea that would receive the most resistance is, all citizens of the Spartan empire were required to perform military service. Back then women could be considered Citizens, but there are many roles for women in today's modern military. Of course I'm not advocating that people with server health problems be made to serve. Also I am not surely attempting to say that we need to have a military dictatorship here or em posed across the world. This would help Americans form a bond, much like the Greatest Generation did when almost all able bodied persons fought in World War 2. Secondly the best idea anyone could ever ask for from leadership is after their term of leadership the leader has to answer to a group of elders. The elders ask questions of the leader about decisions made during their term. If the leader does well; then they are elevated to the group of elders. If the leader did horrible during their term, and they had no reasonable explanation then the leader was put to death. This would stop people seeking political power to influence laws to benefit them or the people that payed for them to get into office. These ideas will never be implemented, but they certainly would be the best two ideas to help our sinking country.
2007-03-08 17:17:37
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answer #3
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answered by Tim 2
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What lessons has Ancient Greece to given to modern society? More so than the Bible or any other civilization that has ever existed.
1. The idea of ANY type of sufferage. The concept of Democracy was born in Greece and cultivated in Greece. The idea of one individual having a direct say over the politcal affairs was just purely amazing. It continued with the Roman Republic and then reborn with the United States. The Icelandic Norse may have developed the first Parliament but there was always some sort of Sovereign witgy absolute power.
Greek Democracy was only reserved for those who owned land and may not seem "democratic" to modern standards but in 6th century B.C.it was revoloutionary. Democracy was so ingrained in the culture that the idea of a King or in thr Greek Tyranos (Tyrant) was revolting. Sparta was Athens were responsible for removing Tyrants in the Greek World.
Persian authority was often kind and gentle,especially to those people who submitted to their authorithy, but to the Greeks, submission was never an option. Submission meant an erosion of freedom which was never an option for Greece with a fight especially from a Barbarian nation (Barbarian in Ancient Greek means a non greek speaker)
There is so much more..Aristophanes was the first Satirist that used comedy for anti-war commentary. Can you imagine that?! This is back when saying something bad about Government/King etc in other cultures would have awareded you slow and painful death. The concept of of explaining natural events using mathematics and obervation rather than using Gods and religion. The notion of using Logic and Reason! The idea of city blocks, the Hippocratic oath, measuring the circumfrance of of the earth within a few feet when it took Europe until 1600's to even discover to was ROUND!
It is basically comes down to this..It is okay to question. Question your lfie, question the earth, QUESTION AUTHORITY. Do not settle for blind acceptance.
Unfortunately, much of the literature of the Ancient Greece has been lost through the ages because of neglect and destruction and only a fraction exists today. Thank the early monastatic communities (even though they had a lot to due with the destruction)and the Arabs for much of the Ancient Greek literature that survived today
2007-03-12 09:42:18
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answer #4
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answered by Pete 1
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The civilization of ancient Greece is without a doubt the foundation not only of what used to be called western civilization, but of our entire planetary culture of today. Philosophy, science, art, literature, political science, historiography - all these were formulated as we now know and work with them by the ancient Greeks. So we can learn much by studying the civilization and culture of the Greeks.
But there's more. The ancient Greeks were also perhaps the most articulate people who have ever existed, so there is much one can learn about the human condition generally by studying their writings. For example, Thucydides' history of the Peloponnesian war is arguably the most penetrating analysis of the nature of war, civil strife and partisan politics that has ever been written, and has much to teach us today. Even Herodotus' history of the Persian invasions of Greece while more narrative and uncritical and less analytical than Thucidides' work, has much we can learn from.
I haven't seen "The 300" yet, and I have no idea of how historically accurate it is, or the degree to which it depicts the essence of the story - the fight of a small country to maintain its independence in the face of the aggression of a huge empire - hardly an irrelevant subject today. It would be a pity if the film is content to just slip into a comic-book type "good guys" vs "bad guys" story. One thing Herodotus managed to do very well, was to show that the "bad guys", the Persians and their kings, were human too and that their culture and they as individuals had much that was commendable. And indeed, the ancient Greeks admired the Persians for many things. There's another lesson for us today. It would be a pity if the film is blind to this.
2007-03-12 08:44:54
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answer #5
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answered by Thomas Tunberg 1
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There are many lessons that have carried over form Ancient Greece. Democracy is the main lesson. This type of government has stood the test of time. Communism has come and gone. When Fidel Castro finally does pass naturally I have a firm belief that China and North Korea will be the last communist countries on Earth. Many countries are seeing that the Ancient Greeks were correct. Democracy is the fairest form of government for the people.
Also appreciation of nature and the cosmos. Nautre and numbers were very popular with the Ancient Greeks. Today, these two aspects of life still are very popular. All of the universe can be related to numbers. The 'Golden Mean' is still in use today. People still preserve nature for it riches. The Ancient Greeks taught the world some invaluable lessons.
2007-03-12 08:14:29
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answer #6
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answered by Paul B 1
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Western intellectual history always begins with the ancient Greeks. This is not to say that no one had any deep thoughts prior to the ancient Greeks, or that the philosophies of ancient India and China (and elsewhere) were in any way inferior. In fact, philosophies from all over the world eventually came to influence western thought, but only much later. But it was the Greeks that educated the Romans and, after a long dark age, it was the records of these same Greeks, kept and studied by the Moslem and Jewish scholars as well as Christian monks, that educated Europe once again.
We might also ask, why the Greeks in the first place? Why not the Phoenicians, or the Carthaginians, or the Persians, or the Etruscans? There are a variety of possible reasons.
One has to do with the ability to read and write, which in turn has to do with the alphabet. It is when ideas get recorded that they enter intellectual history. Buddhism, for example, although a very sophisticated philosophy, was an oral tradition for hundreds of years until committed to writing, since the Brahmi alphabet was late in coming. It was only then that Buddhism spread throughout Asia.
The alphabet was invented by the Semites of the Mediterranean coast, including the Hebrews and the Phoenicians, who used simple drawings to represent consonants instead of words. The Phoenicians apparently passed it on to the Greeks. The Greeks improved on the idea by inventing vowels, using some extra letters their language had no use for.
2007-03-12 08:12:00
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answer #7
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answered by Grif P 1
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There were remarkable accomplishments in the days of ancient Greece, which is why civilizations down the march of time to the present day have studied Helenic culture, but there was also a great deal of harsh brutality and struggle. However, there seemed to be a general appreciation for the state of balance and equalibrium. In almost all aspects of life the Greeks present the concept of balance as a valueable, even virtuous. Architectural styles tended to be very symetric, civic systems included cultural and commercial facilities, defensive- and agricultural subsystems. I know this is a wildly sweeping generalization and that the need for balance was more of a concern in the days before modern mass production, but the act of striving for balance - in life, in art, in thought and deed - seems to be predicated on a deliberate cognition or awareness of the world around that modern thinkers don't always seem to consider. Thus they learned nothing and slid into some very dark ages. I feel while both the Persian empire and the Greek empire made vast leaps the Greeks moved the world with new ideas such as Democracy,Medicine Philosophy and Mathematics. The Romans lead by Julius Guias Ceasar gathered the the information from every society it conquered. Ceasar used what he could learn from the Persians and the the Greeks as well as the Gauls and the Egyptians.
2014-08-25 02:30:12
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answer #8
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answered by ? 3
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I read most of the answers before adding my own...and above all others, I believe abjurer has the best one. Yes, there are many pretty and philosophical/politically motivated answers from many "broad minded" liberal thinkers, but all in all, the sacrifice, devotion to duty, and devotion to their society and families instead of their own selfishness was the one thing that made these guys stand out from all others. The other city states were looking for that kind of devotion to the new Greek government before they comitted. They saw the sacrafice of these warriors as the epotime of what they all should be, took it to task and eventually got the job done.
No doubt the Persian Empire was a great one, and contributed emmensly to the future of the world, but using a Persian singer to do the background vocals was just for dramatical effect...nothing more. There were no political undertones.
The one thing about the Persian empire that I didn't see anyone mention was the fact that even though the different societies had been conquered by the Persians, the seperate states themselves were pretty much left alone, to govern locally as they saw fit. A perfect states rights society...no big Government intervention until it came time for defense.
As with all societies though, it is not the rulers or the dignitaries or the big bags of wind that claim they are doing what the people want that make the biggest sacrifice, it is the common citizen that bears the brunt of the Government's need for power. They can only take so much, and no society is immune...including us. Bottom line?; there can be no free rides. Be a contribution to your society, your family, and yourself. No loafers.
2007-03-12 09:03:14
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answer #9
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answered by fltshvlhd 2
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I'm pessimistic on this matter. Other then the beginnings of democracy and Greece's output of fine philosophers, ancient Greece is mostly misunderstood by moderns. Back then, democracy as we know it today was not applied or fully developed yet. The institution of slavery was still the norm and females were still kept at a lower status then men.
So when you ask about what lessons we learned from Ancient Greece and applied to modern society, I would have to say nothing. You might be caught up with the whole Socrates/Plato thing--their philosophical stances weren't put into place till many years later; and at that, only in bits and pieces.
But you ask a good question although I believe you're a bit confused with the timeline thing.
2007-03-10 15:42:02
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answer #10
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answered by Sick Puppy 7
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When you look at Ancient Greece, Sparta, Athens, and the other city-states, leading into the later empires from Macedonia and Rome, there are many lessons from these ancient civilizations that can be learned and applied to modern society. You see it all the time. Younger generations who are just reaching adulthood, and know nothing of the many lessons learned by past nations and generations appear doomed to repeat the mistakes of declining empires. It's enough to make anyone who knows anything about history stand back and notice that historians really have a potential advantage over those who do not know much about the history of the world. The one really important lesson from Ancient Greece and all other ancient nations that effects all the other lessons and applies to our world today is a lesson of durability. Can our modern civilization, with all its wonders and seemingly bright future, last and be remembered thousands of years from now, like Ancient Greece is remembered today? With all the seemingly insurmountable troubles facing our world today, it seems like it would be a miracle for our world to survive like Greece has survived.
2007-03-10 00:45:37
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answer #11
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answered by endpov 7
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