Athenians were the first ones to give power to someone who they think will actually be good for that job, and not simply due to noble blood or force. Athenian democracy was also the first to emphasize individualism. It was the idea that the job should be given to the best. After the Persian war a man named Pericles ruled Athens. He created what is known today as direct democracy where you specifically pick your leaders as it differs from Rome’s republic where you elect people to represent you.
Despite many periods of financial and military crisis where the empire faced threats from all sides, it always managed to come through, often due to the Emperor’s advisors. One of the talented generals during Justinian’s reign was Belisarius. The general was with Justinian for much of his reign and had many victories against larger enemies. The reconquest of North Africa and Italy helped solidify Justinian’s legacy as a great ruler. Having these two areas under its control meant that the Mediterranean was once again a Roman sea, and the trade that was now available to the empire would greatly increase its revenue.
These aspects of their culture were vital to their identity. New styles of art showed up all over Greece due primarily to Athens’ influence. The theater was one area where Athenians were particularly superior. This was due in part to their famous festivals for the God, Dionysus, the most well-known being the Dionysia. Aeschylus was one dramatist who was revolutionary in these festivals; even to this day we utilize his works.
He even fixed prices so people could afford things, and the people of Rome loved Octavian. This eventually allowed the republic to turn into an empire and the people never protested because their lives were actually better now. Octavian began the Paxromana period, and had a very strong hold on the Mediterranean trade routes. He even had Roman stations all along the Silk Road. Culture traveled along the road, and religions like Buddhism and Christianity came about.
Greece had the first known democracy. The Greeks affected many of our current constitutional rights. In both the US democracy and the Athenian democracy where political power can be exercised by the citizens. Pericles had three goals, to Strengthen Democracy, Hold strength in the empire, and to glorify Athens. Pericles stated that he wanted all citizens to have an equal opportunity to serve the public.
Athens was a direct democracy and many of these ways are still used today. A direct democracy meant that the citizens could vote on the issues directly and that the citizens hold the power. The citizens consisted of any man born in Athens. The non-citizens were women, foreign-born males, and slaves. All of the citizens could belong to the Assembly, and they voted by lottery because they thought election favored the rich, and they wanted it to be equal.
The Greeks believed that intellect is superior to forces of nature, while the Romans wanted their architecture to dominate the sites. A third similarity was their ability to be innovative during their time periods. Along with their innovations when it came to their temples, the Greeks also had the ability to create very life-like and dynamic sculptures, something that the Romans constantly struggled with during their time. Because of this, a lot of their sculptures were just replicas of Greek sculptures with small adaptations and changes occurring. One of the most innovative steps that the Romans took with their
The Greeks were a democratic society, believing that the power should be given to a group of men instead of only a single leader. The Greek society was a city-state society, meaning that each city, like Athens and Sparta, would operate like an independent nation; each one of them having their own government. The Roman society was first established as a republican society and then later becoming an empire. The Roman republican “Entrusted executive responsibilities to two consuls who wielded civil and military power. Consuls were elected by an assembly dominated by the wealthy classes, known in Rome as the patricians” (Bentley, Ziegler & Streets, 2008, Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History, “The Roman Republic and its
They had two different beliefs that separated the wealthy and the poor. These categories were (Olympian Deities) god of the skies and mountain tops; also, (Chthonian Deities) the god of the underworld which was mainly worshiped by the peasants. This is what separates these two societies; Roman beliefs they were very complex among the people. Many of these Roman people believe in one (God or Christ) and their successors of Bishops and emperors. The Emperors and Bishops were looked at as Gods to do the work of the gods to oversee the
Throughout the years, civilizations have dramatically increased standards of living through their achievements. They have developed in their technology and their way of life has advanced. Egypt, The Indus, and Greece are some examples. These civilizations have contributed: Pyramids, toys, Olympics, and many more. Over the past years, Egypt developed drastically through their achievements.