The Greeks and Romans figure

Greece and Rome

About two thousand years ago, two productive societies introduced many of the foundational practices that continued to shape Western civilization for centuries. The Greeks and Romans figured out ways of understanding human life, social interactions, and the natural world that continue to influence us today. Their devotion to justice, harmony, reason, proportion, and beauty is the basis for classical ideals.

Independent Greek city-states developed various political structures, each of which aimed to produce social order while securing the welfare of all. Athens, in particular, fostered a community of citizens, artists, leaders, and thinkers who brought generations of significant progress.

· Democratic institutions relied upon rhetorical methods that permitted widespread participation by individual members of the community.

· Sculptors developed a style both realistic and ideal, human figures who are “eternally youthful, healthy, serene, dignified, and liberated from all accidents of nature” (Fiero, p. 52).

· Playwrights created public spectacles that portrayed human character and behavior in all its grandeur and folly.

· Philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle employed rational approaches to explore naturalistic accounts of natural phenomena and human conduct.

· Even when the Greeks lost political independence, their ideas continued to influence culture throughout the Hellenistic era.

Although it borrowed extensively from the Greeks, Roman culture—first as a Republic and later as an Empire—developed distinctive practical features of its own.

· Effective military organization secured the stability of Rome itself and extended political control around the Mediterranean Sea and through much of Europe.

· Poetic literature moved beyond epic history into more personal expressions of emotion, including lyrics, odes, and satire.

· Architects employed the arch as a way of supporting large interior spaces for public gatherings, including the Colosseum and Pantheon in Rome itself.

· Administrative governance of the Empire at large relied upon the rule of laws that were publicly promulgated and enforced.

The Roman Republic served as one of the powerful models for social and political organization embraced by the American founders.

Architecture

Architecture shapes the places in which we spend our time. From birth onward, we deliberately arrange our living spaces in order to ensure security and comfort while avoiding confinement or restriction. This is a good example of the tension between public and private expressions of the humanities, since our experience of space ranges across many scales, purposes, and feelings:

· Places designed for large public gatherings—stadiums, arenas, convention halls, and cathedrals.

· Work environments intended to focus attention on specific professional outcomes.

· Personal choices about interior design for ease and comfort in daily life at home.

· Vehicles to transport us pleasantly and efficiently away from home and back again.

· Outdoor spaces, both natural and landscaped, that place us in the context of plants and wildlife.

· Private enclosure within our own garments and inside our own skins.

We can shape some of these places for ourselves, and others we must accept as they are. Yet, all of them have an effect on us. There is deep perceptual and emotional energy involved in architecture. The buildings we live and work in shape and influence the way we live.

Reference

Fiero, G. K. (2012). Landmarks in humanities. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.