Ancient Ideas for a Modern World

Greece's 'Golden Age' was an era of peace and cultural prosperity. Incredible achievements in art, philosophy, and science advanced Western civilization and still impact our world today. Many aspects of our modern society can be traced back to ideas that were first imagined by ancient Greeks over 2,500 years ago.

Philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle: these Greek thinkers first developed systems of thought and reason which became the basis for the study of Philosophy and still influence the way we think today.

The Olympics. The first Olympic games were held on the island of Pelops in 776 B.C. Almost three thousand years later, the International Olympic Committee resurrected this tradition In 1896, athletes from 14 different countries came together, again in Greece, to celebrate the legacy of sportsmanship and relaunch the Olympic games for the modern era.

Drama & Comedy. We can thank Greece for our tradition of modern theater. Although live acting predates the Greeks, our current concept of 'theater' directly traces its roots back to the stages of ancient Athens.

Democracy. One of Ancient Greece's most radical ideas was the idea that ordinary citizens should have an equal say in who governs them, as well as how how they govern. In Athens, the concept of democracy was born with a new belief in government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Thousands of years later, American colonists used these same principles as the basis of their Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, and later, as the foundation for the United States Constitution.