Ryan Swank
October 10, 2007
Among all the civilizations in history, two stand out more than any others. Rome and Greece rose to prominence in their respective eras. Both contributed substantial advancements to the modern societies of the world. Rome particularly excelled in things military, while Greece fostered genius philosophers and mathematicians. These two geographical neighbors have influenced American society far more than any other nations.
Recreation encompassed a large portion of the ancient Roman and Greek citizens’ lives. Theatre, the Olympics, gladiatorial events, and market comedians became commonplace in ancient Greece and Rome. The citizens needed a way to forget the toils of daily life and just relax. Although the forms of entertainment have changed significantly over the last 2000 years, the necessity for recreation has grown nonetheless. One may compare a football game to a gladiatorial fight, and not error in the least. One aspect of both antiquity and modernity has remained steady. The Olympics have existed since approximately 200 B.C. Almost every capable nation competes in the modern games. Once the national pastime of Greece, the Olympics have become a symbol of the best athletes in the world competing against one another in order to bring glory to their home country. Another considerable aspect of ancient civilization was theatre.
A huge part of Roman and Greek culture circled around the comedies and plays that occurred in the markets and arenas. Large amounts of historical notation have been committed to the preservation of comedies and theatrical drama. Virtually every town had a popular comic or actor, usually a slave wearing a mask. The impact on American culture becomes apparent when traveling through a city such as New York or Philadelphia. Internationally renowned for the very best plays and musicals, Broadway has origins in Roman and Greek theatre. Arenas and theatres in which all these event...