Most Influential Civilization

[Crimson Castle]

Which Civilization, Religion, or Empire do you think that the most influence on global culture? I'm more inclined to choose the protestant movement with its emphasis on individual rights/interpretation as opposed to church rights/interp, the work ethic, and its disdain for tradition.

[discovery1]

Greece, the birthplace of democracy and it has a much better claim to things like the emphasis on individuals and freedom of though than he Protestants

[Red Peasant]

Ancient Greek civilisation. Others of supreme influence are Islamic, British, and Roman though its main influence was as a protector and conduit of continuing Hellenic culture and civilisation.

I wouldn't really class 'The Protestant Movement' as a civilisation, more of a dependent and subsidiary phenomenon of late medieval western civilisation.

[Colovion]

Greece for the SOcietal implications.

Christian/ROman Holy Empire for the Religious aspect.

[Hakonarson]

Greece for its influence on the West and the East, and on Christianity and Islam.

[Somebody Else]

Egypt - responsible for beer - and hence modern British "culture"

Otherwise, probably something from the fertile crescent... the chaps who got farming going and stuff. Leads to large settlements, hence more exchange of ideas, hence influence etc.

[squippy]

Egyot did not invent beer - that was invented in mesopotamia.

I voted other for the mesopotamian civs. They really have to be the most influenctial bar none - the others are merely inspired by mesopotamia.

[Rosacrux]

I would see Greece and Rome as a single - culturally - entity. The Roman culture was pretty much the Greek culture as adopted by the - less complicated and more paternalistic but also practical and focused, unlike the Greeks - Romans, especially after the annexation of the Greek world into the Roman empire.

Having said that, there is no doubt that the Graeco-Roman civilization was by far the most influental in human history. Mesopotamian cultures - especially Sumerian - would also rank among the highest positions in such a list, but the world of the 21st century has barely any concept found in Mesopotamia 4.000 or 5.000 years ago, but bears many (extremely many) of those conceived by the Greeks and (to a lesser extent) Romans.

Of course no one should be able to cut off a culture from it's continuoum and the surroundings and the fabulous - unmatched throughout the ages - Greek culture wasn't born out of the blue: it was a culture of giants standing on the shoulders of other giants - the near east-Asia Minor and Helladic cultures that preceded the Greeks.

[Cebei]

No contest here; Greece. By the way, can we label the short-lived Rome-wannabe nation of the little Corsican as a "civilisation"?

[squippy]

Quote[/b] (Rosacrux @ May 24 2004,05:48)]Having said that, there is no doubt that the Graeco-Roman civilization was by far the most influental in human history. Mesopotamian cultures - especially Sumerian - would also rank among the highest positions in such a list, but the world of the 21st century has barely any concept found in Mesopotamia 4.000 or 5.000 years ago, but bears many (extremely many) of those conceived by the Greeks and (to a lesser extent) Romans.
Nope. Mesopotamia invented rationality, and the greeks merely developed it IMO. In the course of the invention of writing, they developed the idea that the world was explicable, understandable, and subject to rational enquiry - and they developed a discipline of deductive dvinition with which to carry out that enquiry.

The Greeks are late-comers, over-rated IMO and not nearly as influential as the orthodox post-Roman european history would claim. almost all the apsects of modernity you recognise in the Greek world had predecesoors in mesopotamia (in fact, the wooden Athena status may well actually have been Innana).

Edit: and even if that were not true, Shang/Han China has certainly made a much bigger contribution to human development than Greece and Rome, which were relative small fry.

[Shahed]

Have you guys seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" ? You should then you will know that everything comes from Greece

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-jester.gif

[Rosacrux]

Quote[/b] (squippy @ May 25 2004,05:52)]
Quote[/b] (Rosacrux @ May 24 2004,05:48)]Having said that, there is no doubt that the Graeco-Roman civilization was by far the most influental in human history. Mesopotamian cultures - especially Sumerian - would also rank among the highest positions in such a list, but the world of the 21st century has barely any concept found in Mesopotamia 4.000 or 5.000 years ago, but bears many (extremely many) of those conceived by the Greeks and (to a lesser extent) Romans.
Nope. Mesopotamia invented rationality, and the greeks merely developed it IMO. In the course of the invention of writing, they developed the idea that the world was explicable, understandable, and subject to rational enquiry - and they developed a discipline of deductive dvinition with which to carry out that enquiry.

The Greeks are late-comers, over-rated IMO and not nearly as influential as the orthodox post-Roman european history would claim. almost all the apsects of modernity you recognise in the Greek world had predecesoors in mesopotamia (in fact, the wooden Athena status may well actually have been Innana).

Edit: and even if that were not true, Shang/Han China has certainly made a much bigger contribution to human development than Greece and Rome, which were relative small fry.
We can agree that we completely, fundamentaly, utterly and without a doubt disagree, then? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Shahed]

Actually even the word sun bathing comes from Greek. Do you know about it ? Ok no problem let me tell you in Greek the word ilios is sun, and a kind of bathing is therapia so as you can see even the word sunbathing comes from Greek. Can you not see the resemblance ?

In fact let me tell you that actually almost anything in the English language comes from Greek Ok do you know the word Kiriea ? well in English...... anyway everything that man has done comes from the Greek word for achievement...do you want me to tell you ?

disclaimer:
if you have nto see MY Big Fat Greek Wedding you won't get the joke http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

[Rosacrux]

Well, I've seen it but I think the most fun part was when the bros and cousins convinced the guy to state that "echo megala arxidia" http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Shahed]

LOL Yeah it was funny. I've know quite a few Greeks since I was a kid so I could relate very wholeheartedly to the film. It's a kind of "East is East".

btw did I tell you what English word comes from malaka ? Ok no problem I tell you....

[RollingWave]

It's hard to say depend on what area ur looking into and what you think holds more priority....

Obviously due to the current western political/technological dominance, you can't possibily pass up the greeks and romans in influence...... but the Chinese/Arab/Indians all had great influence in many respect too......

[Kalle]

How come the USA are not listed in this poll? I think no other civilisation so completely have dominated the globe economically, culturully, militarily then the USA do now and have done for some time - historically maybe its a very short time but still...

And yes i know the USA are influenced from other cultures such as Romans and Greeks but so are many others in the poll.

Not everybody on the globe needed to care about the Roman emperors or about Alexander the great. During the time of Shakespeare and the time of Homeros the audience or readers of their works were not many if viewed globally. Not many outside china cared about their papermoney (i think).

Today everybody in the world (at least on statelevel) has to care about what Bush and the US military are saying and doing. Today all around the world people long for and watch american movies and other culturephenomenons - its the americans that make the movie Troy - its not greeks. Today everybody cares about the US-dollar. All this on a global scale.

Thus my vote is for the USA, for good and bad no other power or civilisation has in so many ways influenced the world on a truly global scale.

Kalle

ps. well maybe sweden but i guess no one would believe me so ill keep the evidence of that to myself http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-jester.gif ds.

[RollingWave]

Well when talking about influneced by usually we talk more long term.... though I guess in the future the USA will probably be listed up there as one of those civilization (if u can call it that) that influnenced the world

[Teutonic Knight]

Rome, without doubt....

[Crimson Castle]

I didn't include the US because its too recent. Pax Americana has only been going for what 50 years or so.

But it is true that in this era of globalization and nuclear power, America has exerted more influence over the world than all the other empires combinded. But America's ideals and structure was largely inspired by the Greek and Roman Empire.

[Longshanks]

The US shouldn't be on the list because there is no such thing as an American civilization. The US for the most part isn't unique, it is a part of Western Civilization just like most European nations.

I would say that Western civilization has had the most impact on world history, and that was created by the Greeks and spread throughout Western Europe by Rome. (centuries later Western Europe would spread it throughout the world) The impact of Greece & Rome upon history cannot be understated.

[The Wizard]

Quote[/b] (Crimson Castle @ May 27 2004,16:53)]I didn't include the US because its too recent. Pax Americana has only been going for what 50 years or so.

But it is true that in this era of globalization and nuclear power, America has exerted more influence over the world than all the other empires combinded. But America's ideals and structure was largely inspired by the Greek and Roman Empire.
With another great effort of restraint, I will not make a comment on this .... and vote for the Romans.



~Wiz http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[JAG]

Has to be the Roman empire for me.

[Mount Suribachi]

Has to be Rome. While they may have taken elements of thought & culture from the Greeks & others, it was the Romans who spread that culture in Europe, Africa & the Near East.

[tombom]

I chose Islamic states before I saw the Greek cities. But the Islamic states did have a large influence over what followed especially in science and medicine. None of the modern empires really influenced anything except for the take-up of english in parts of the British Empire. The Greeks have helped define what society is like today, and so they are probably the most influential. China also gave us some inventions. The final one I think that was influential were the Mesopatamian civilisations. After all, they did give us farming and without them we wouldn't be around today

[Accounting Troll]

The British Empire for being the first real world power. Earlier empires had dominated a region or even a continent, but the British Empire was the first empire to extend its influence and ideals over every continent in the world.