The Greeks and Romans are mostly stories and myths to the modern world, but without them, much of our society and culture would be drastically different. With many ideas of ideas, we consider “modern” originating from them. Even democracy, one of the most prevalent forms of modern government, would have likely failed if not for its ancestral start during these two ancient civilizations. Though, how it got its start is lost upon the general world, especially the American public. It is still important to know where your culture and governmental systems came from so that we can learn, grow, and improve. No matter what traditionalists say, progress and advancement have always been the American way.
Many of the stories and myths of these two great societies have been passed down whether by oral tradition or through texts. With many being cautionary tales or just entertaining stories like the story of the Trojan horse. This is why their culture and lives have lived on even when the general population doesn’t care. Many are inspired by what they built and strived for. Everybody wants to build something that will last. Or at the very least be remembered when they’re gone and the Greeks and Romans are prime examples of this.
Take America for example; much of our society and history are inspired by or directly taken from the Greek and Roman history books. We name our rockets and space stations after the Greek Gods and still use the Roman Gods’ names for the planets and stars. Thousands of years from now, humans will still be referencing these civilizations even if it is unbeknownst to them. America also uses the Roman style of architecture in its government buildings. The architecture of our most important buildings shows how we want the world to perceive us. So, using another culture’s building style shows reverence, but also intent. We intend for the world to see us like the world saw the Romans.
Even locally, our rival team is the Dyersburg Trojans. The Trojans were one of the greatest enemies to the Greeks. They picked this name to inspire fear and intimidate. Even if they really don’t.