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Greeks vs. Romans

Who had greater influence—the Greeks or the Romans? The Greeks were great thinkers and philosophers, while the Romans were skilled builders and engineers. Here are some of their great ideas to help you decide.

Architecture

The Greeks built large stone temples such as the Parthenon (left) in Athens. The proportions of classical Greek buildings were calculated to give an impression of balance and elegance.

01.

Philosophy

For the Ancient Greeks, philosophy (meaning “the love of wisdom”) involved all aspects of life, including religion and science. The most famous of the Greek philosophers were Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato (right).

Wa Politics

Ancient Greece was madę up of hundreds of separate city-states, each with its own laws, rulers, and system of government. Our word “politics comes from the Greek word polis, meaning “city-state”.

L# "ł ■ Mathematics

Many of the basie rules of mathematics were established by the Greeks. Mathematicians such as Euclid and Pythagoras madę major discoveries in geometry.

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Theater

The Greeks built open-air theaters (such as the one above), where plays were performed as part of religious festivals. Many plays written by Greek dramatists can still be seen in theaters today.

06 ■ Medicine

The Greek physician Hippocrates, known as the “father of medicine,” believed that there was a rational explanation for all illnesses. He based his medical practice on observing his patients’ symptoms.

08.

Archimedes’ screw

This machinę, shaped like a large screw, was designed to pump water. It is thought to have been invented by Archimedes, who is famous for shouting “Eureka” (Tve found it") after solving a mathematical problem in the bath.

V/Ui Pottery

The Greeks were known for their highly decorated pottery, often showing scenes from everyday life. Artists painted black figures on red or orange backgrounds.

09.

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w ■ Olympic Games

The first Olympic Games were staged in Greece in 776 bce. The most challenging event was the Pentathlon, which included jumping, running, wrestling, and throwing the discus and javelin.

History

The Greeks were the first true historians, who wrote accurate accounts of the events of their day. Greek author Herodotus was the first historian to write about events in prose, rather than in verse.

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