Greece has made many contributions to our life today. Without the Greeks we probably wouldn't have many things. One thing we got from the Greeks is our form of government. Democracy was formed in Athens. Although similar, our Democracy is different than the Greeks though, because all the people in our government have the right to vote and in Greece, only the citizens had the right to vote. Another important contribution is our written language. It is  based on the Greek form of writing called Linear B. It had less than 30 symbols and was easier to remember and write with. The Olympic games are based on an ancient Greek ceremonies. This includes racing, the discuss throw, the javelin throw, boxing, and wrestling. Now, people from over 100 countries compete in the Olympics. Many of the events that were held in Greece are still held today. Today we have philosophers who are people we look for for answers and knowledge. The Greeks had philosophers also. Philosopher means lover of knowledge. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are examples of ancient philosophers. Another lasting achievement of the Greeks comes from the father of medicine named Hippocrates. Today all doctors have to take the Hippocratic oath which makes doctors pledge to act ethically and morally. Another area that ancient Greeks have influenced our lives today is Science. For example, Archimedes discovered a very important law of physics while he was in the bath tub: a body displaces it's own weight in water. The beginning of modern theater can be traced to ancient Greece. Greek theater began with songs and dances performed in the marketplace by a group of men called a chorus. Eventually huge open-air theaters were opened all over Greece. The Greeks created three architectural styles that you can still see today. The Doric style is simple with thick sturdy columns and plain tops. The Ionic style had thinner columns and at it's tops had two swirls. The Corinthian style has elaborate tops decorated with leaves. Corinthian columns were not commonly used by the Greeks, but were popular in Roman times. It is amazing that over thousands of years Greek culture has survived.

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