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The Greek Foundation Classical Greek culture (650 BC 250 BC) was one of the most influential and highly developed world cultures. It had great impact on the modern world, with its three main features: diversity and completeness of such important constituents of culture as literature, art and philosophy, its humanists ideology and orientation, important contribution of the Greeks into the treasure house of art and literature, and creation of the masterpieces that enriched the other world cultures and had great impact upon the present day (also in the Modern Western Culture). It is a common knowledge that this period was a golden age of Greek culture. Religion was an integral part of the Greek culture and, logically, it has a great influence on its development (Onians 15). Ancient Greece Mythology creates numerous images of the all-mighty gods and heroes, who became the starting point for the development of prototypes in different realms of art, literature and philosophy. Classic Greek Culture has given birth to the most famous Greeks, such as Pericles, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Democritus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes (Osborne 84), to mention a few.
Greek culture influenced the modern literature and architecture. The images of Greek gods and heroes are reproduced in numerous works of art. European writers, poets, musicians adopt the prototypes for their works. Besides, many planets, stars and even constellations derived their names from Greek mythology (Bell 94).
Greek Culture had influence on the modern technology, military art and military tactics (Hanson 21). Moreover, Classical Greek culture has great contribution into development of the Western civilization. Among the other outstanding achievements may also be called the process of organization of the urban life with its high level of improvement, beautification and equipping with services and utilities, being one of the most significant prerequisites for the civilized life (Spivey 49). Greeks also introduced the concept of democracy (democratic republic) - one of the most progressive forms of the state structure, and, naturally, creation of the most significant world culture.
All these significantly different areas in the modern society indicate the connection with Greek culture. Although the first cities came into existence approximately three thousands of years ago (Ancient East), it was Classical Greek period that brought it into the highest level of development. Despite the fact that there were a lot of megalopolises with no cities (for example, Sparta), the existence of the city equipped with services and utilities was planned under the concept of the Greek megalopolis. Greek city became a prototype of the modern city with its well-planned structure. The city was created in such a way to give place for the main square, central sanctuaries (compare with the modern churches), theater, stadium, and other places of public property.
The construction of residential houses and other buildings was conducted with due account for the climatic and other ecological factors. In addition, there were not only convenient dwellings for the citizens, but also beautifully decorated sanctuaries and places for entertainment and relaxation. The theatres and stadiums were the integral part of the city. As we can see, the main principles of the regular planning had great impact on the modern town planning and urban development.
Classical Greek culture has brought into being the organization of the state structure democratic republic (with its more elaborate Athenian democracy). It was a well-developed political system able to grant participation of the Greeks in state administration. The full exercise of Greek national sovereignty was realized through peoples meetings. The structure of judicial and executive branches ruled out the possibility that the power could be concentrated in the hands of some individuals. Therefore, Greek democracy pursued the focused policy of financial and political support of the impoverished population, provided them with the parcels of land and ensured they have a minimum level subsistence.
Naturally, Greek democracy cannot be perfect type of democracy, because it had both negative and positive aspects. Nevertheless, it was Greek prototype of democracy with its structure of democratic republic and properly regulated mechanism of action that had great impact on the modern politics, state duties and the modern state structure. One of the most important political achievements was the development of the concept of citizen, who has the aggregate of specific inalienable rights (Dover 129), such as personal liberty, right to housing, right of defense, right to serve in levy (militia) and carrying of weapon, right to participate in the peoples meetings activity and administration of state affairs. The acknowledgement of these rights as well as the usage of these rights in the everyday life made a citizen (according to Aristotle) a political individual.
Naturally, it broadened the persons political views and mental outlook, enriched personal and national self-consciousness, and created incentives for the future development of the persons creative abilities. Classical Greek Culture also had a significant impact on development of the world culture. High level of development of Greek Culture, its diversity and depth, creation of masterpieces and fruitful ideas mark out the phenomenon of Classical Greek Culture among other cultural system of the Ancient and Modern world. Classical Greek Culture influenced almost all spheres of the modern world. Democritus and Epicures elaborated the concept of materialism (in philosophy), Plato coined the concept of idealism, philosophical systems of Aristotle, Stoicism, to mention a few. Greek architecture introduced the regularly planned city planning and its well-known order system, which predetermined the future development of the Roman, Mediterranean and European architecture.
Greek literature gave birth to plenty of literary genres, such as tragedy, epos, lyrics, comedy, and scientific poetry, not to mention that every genre had brought into existence the masterpieces of the world significance. Greek scientists made plenty of significant scientific discoveries (for example, formulation of the principles of heliocentric concept of the Universe, the study of organic evolution, the discovery of atomic structure, principles of the formal logic and elementary mathematics, and many others). It is also important to take notice of one of the most interesting features of Greek Culture its humanistic character. Classical Greek Culture highly appraised the individuality of Greek citizen irrespectively of his property status.
No wonder that high level of development of the Greek Culture can be explained by high economic potential of Greek megalopolises created on account of rational organization of the labor, favorable and almost unlimited potentialities of the political activity for its citizens, as well as the high level of development of the citizens conscience. Classical Greek Culture had, probably, the most significant influence on culture of modernity in general and Western culture today. Greek culture not only was conductive to the future development, but also became an integral part of the modern civilization with its significant achievements, such as principles of democracy, well-planned cities, stadiums, theaters, sculpture and literary trends, and scientific discoveries, to mention a few. Works Cited Bell, Robert E. Place-names in classical mythology. Greece - Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, 1989.
Dover, Kenneth James. Ancient Greece: a political, social, and cultural history. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Hanson, Victor Davis. The Western way of war: infantry battle in classical Greece.
Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000. Onians, John. Classical art and the cultures of Greece and Rome. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999.
Osborne, Robin. Archaic and classical Greek art. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Spivey, Nigel Jonathan. Greek art.
London: Phaidon Press, 1997.
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