First draft

First draft

The problem with Greek democracy as Norman Cantor notes is, “How was the free community to alter its established laws”(Cantor, Norman, 1967)? For chaos would erupt if each assembly was allowed to change the law each month. The Greek was confronted with the problem whose laws would be king(Cantor, Norman, 1967)? This is a problem that is never fully overcome by the Greeks. Throughout the experiment the fickleness of the mob constantly causes problem. One minute you may be a great hero while the next you could be booted out of the city

The idea of democracy is directly connected with the Polis or what we know today as the city. The polis is the embodiment of the this idea of democracy(Jacques Le Goff, 10). Aristotle echoed the Greek belief when he said, “man was Made for life in the Polis(Anthony Pagden, 40) The city gained a new attraction through democracy. Greek citizens are no longer loyal to one particular man but rather to Athens as a city. All the Greeks start to gather around the city as a place of learning and trade. Furthermore if a citizen wants a say in how his government and how his country is run he must be near the city. This influence of the city merely expands and grows throughout western civilization as the polis or city becomes the center of society.

A consequence of this sudden political freedom is the growth of the study of philosophy. One but has to go to any of major university to hear names like Plato or Aristotle regularly cited both negatively and positively. Whiteman goes so far as to say all western though is a footnote to western thought(M.I, Finley’ 65 ). Great thinkers like these although often scorned and ignored at the time have with their ideas shaped western thought. Yet it is not so much the specific ideas that shaped Europe, but rather this idea that the world has predictable patterns that we can discover through reason and science(Anthony, Pagden, 2002). European technology and philosophy is based on the fact that there are certain things we can know for sure. Life is not a guessing game instead it is orderly and predictable and can be controlled by and used by man to create beautiful things.

The social consequences of this kind a government are also huge for society. For the first time there is social mobility in culture. For in a tyranny if you are a poor peasant you are in all likely hood going to be that for the rest of your life. Only aristocrat with good ancestry can ever attain to rule or gain power in a society. However, in a democracy every male Athenian has the chance to change policy and express his own idea. Of course if you are a slave or a women there is no chance of this. The Greeks are the first people to create a society based on equality(Cite). Society is no longer based how rich you are or who your family, but rather Instead the ability to convince other people of your opinions is the thing that creates power. It is during this time the art of rhetoric comes into being. Greece, during its height is full of great orators who convince the people through the speeches to follow them. These great orator are the fathers of the great speech makers who have shaped western thought.

The military consequences of this political system are crucial. Before Greece fighting was done mainly by aristocrats. In books like the Iliad, the rich aristocrats of the city are the only people who can afford to fight and duke it out with other rich people. The poor were not involved in the battles at all. Athens and her democratic ways changed this with what it is known as the Hoplite revolution. No longer are the rich the only people allowed to fight. Rather every land owning citizen is expected to go out and fight for his country regardless of his wealth or status. Wars were no longer something that the rich can indulge themselves in when they felt like it. Rather war became far more practical, every man of the city went out and fought so he could return to his city as soon as possible. This opened a whole new way of fighting for western culture.
Greece primarily influenced western cultures by its original concepts rather then practical ideas. For example no western nation today actually use democracy in its true form today. One can only imagine the chaos that would erupt if Canada randomly chose three hundred people out of Canada to rule each month. Its not practical or even wise way of ruling. Likewise western thought has proved many of the Greeks scientific theories wrong, and gone away from much of the actual ideas of Plato and Aristotle. Lastly we do not use the Greek conscription as way of modern warfare unless in a time of emergency. For in order to have a truly effective army the army needs to train and live together. Thus, while the Greeks did give us the original concepts the west needed an empire who could take these concepts and make them practical so that they could best benefit western civilization. The Romans through practicality and efficiently took the Greek concepts and put them into usable system that proved to be the foundation of western thought and Europe.

Polybius, a Roman, argued that there are three different types of government. There is the rule of one called a monarchy, the rule of a few called oligarchy, or The rule of the people known as democracy. Polybius saw weaknesses in each one. On the one hand monarchy can be used to perpetrate great crimes against the people. Oligarchy tends to favour the rich few aristocrats who easily abuse their power over the poor common people. While democracy as was seen in Greece can often turn into mob rule and leaving the country in constant turmoil. Polybius argued that the best system was a combination of these three types of governments.

The Republic of Rome was an attempt to create this mixture. While the Romans retained the Greek’s basic concept of the rule of law, they modified it to make a more balanced system. The Romans elected two consuls every year; these two men ruled and had the ultimate responsibility for Rome. The Senate represented the rich aristocrats who helped rule and advised the consul in matters of policy. Last of all the there was a tribune who represented the common people in advising the consuls. This type of government has become one of the most used governing systems in western Europe, for while representation was provided it still provided a sense of leadership and stability for the city.

This kind of republic relies on the city or polis as the center of the empire. The Romans were heirs to the Greek idea of the Polis(Anthony Pagden, 41). They took the Greek idea of polis and spread it over the known world. For unlike the Greeks Rome was not self sufficient but rather relied on the wider areas of Europe and Asia. The Romans not only conquered people but also took those people and Romanised them. James Wilson put it well when he said that , “It was not that Rome extended herself over the globe but that the inhabitants of the world poured themselves on the Romans”(Anthony Pagden, 41).

While the Greeks pictured a equal society, it was not the kind of equal society we picture today. Unless you were a Greek there was not possibility of you having any civil rights(M. I. Finley 73). This severely limited the extant there culture could spread. The Romans took this idea of equal society and went beyond race. Citizenship was no longer base on race alone but also on loyalty towards Rome. Rome wanted to a single society ruled by one law(Anthony Pagdan, 42). Rome through took the Barbarians tribal systems and changed it into an Italian style municipality(Christopher Dawson, 30).

This was transformation of the city not only based on ideas. It is a calculated and organized switch based on practicality and ingenuity. The Roman engineers divided the city into the forum area where all the political buildings were built, the Markets where goods could be brought in and sold, and the residential section of the city where the people lived. Many roman cities had running water and sewer systems. The Romans designed aqueducts that would bring water from the mountains to the city. These practical addition to the polis allow Greek thought to travel all the way from Gaul to the Middle East in many different climates. This simple module could be duplicated as many times as needed.

The Romans further built roads all over Europe connecting previously isolated settlements. The Romans were the first to use cement to create structure faster and better then any previous generation. Out of the this new technology came great structures such as the coliseum, many temples, and impressive new public buildings many of which still stand to some degree today. This essentially connected Europe and furthered the urbanization Process. For of all these new public buildings provided new reasons to go to the city. These structures also proved to be prototypes for the many basilicas that were built throughout the Middle Ages.

The Romans took the abstract philosophy and turned into a practical guide that Romans could live buy. The Romans practised duty and honour. In the history of Livy we see example after example of men who practice honour. The most memorable being when the Roman commander Camillus had the chance to defeat the enemy when a treacherous school teacher offered to turn over the richest kids in the city to him. Instead of taking advantage of the treacherous school teacher he sends the children home, telling his men that Rome must face her foes with honour(cite). Rome is not just another ruthlessly conquer ring her enemies like the Persians or Alexander, rather they at all times try to act with honour even to the people they defeat. The Roman‘s system of duty and honour is something that has been taught throughout western history as model fro both warfare and daily life.

This is directly connected with the military heritage the Romans gave Europe. While Greece came up with the concept of every citizen fighting for his city the Romans improved on this. For in reality it not very practical for farmer and merchant to have to continually pick up there swords and go fight. For if every Citizen has to fight, trade and commerce would continually come to a stand still. Not only this but the soldiers who went to fight would not get paid for his service. To solve this problem Marius a Roman tribune created the professional solider(cite). This meant that men could spend all their time training for war while the every citizen could attend to his daily work. This was model that was used throughout western warfare to great effect.

It is often said that when Rome Conquered Greece, Greece was the one who conquered actually won(Christopher Dawson, 30). While this has some truth it is important to realize that Rome was no less needed then Greece. Each civilization needed each other in order to become the great and influential civilization.