Ancient Greece and Rome

Ancient Greece and Rome

Ancient Greece and Rome are the two ancient nations whose history helped shape the modern European and global political and scholarly thought . Most people , if questioned about the contributions of these countries , would say that their greatest input in the history of civilization was the rational philosophy that laid the foundation for modern science and the democratic , republican form of government that created a model for contemporary democracies . Philosophy and republican democracy emerged in both societies , existed in correlation with each other , and eventually disappeared

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connection between philosophy and republican democracy lies in the influence philosophical thought exerted upon the establishment and functioning of democratic institutions . This is true of Plato who in his youth dreamed of a political career , but disillusioned by the manner of Socrates ' death . gave up all thoughts of a political career dedicating himself instead wholly to philosophy (Russo , 2000 Although Plato was growing up in the heyday of Athenian democracy , it is true that his main work , The Republic is profoundly anti-democratic (`Lecture Note . Still , this very anti-democratic and elitist character may be driven by the inequitable nature of Athenian democracy that existed only for a relatively small number of male citizens and excluded many other population categories , such as women , slaves , and foreigners

Similar interest in governmental matters is demonstrated by Cicero in his Des Republica and other works . Rome 's greatest speaker is an example of a leader who acted both in the political and philosophical realms helping shape the Roman republic as a consul and expressing his views in scholarly works

Why did the republic emerge in both nations ? In Athens , the classical Greek democracy , its appearance was partly due to the wealth and status acquired by common citizens under the successful rule of Pisistratus , as without the economic benefits and experience in government gained by the masses under Pisistratus , they would not have been ready for participation in democracy (`Lecture Note . Another reason was the power acquired by the common Athenians as a result of their participation in the navy that established the hegemony in the Aegean Sea and helped overcome the Persians . Democracy in Athens , although severely limited , proved a convenient way to replace unwelcome rulers without major upheavals such as the one that followed the despotic rule of Hippias who seized power after the popular Pisistratus

In Rome , the monarchy was replaced by the republic in 509 BC due to the atrocities committed by the last king , Tarquinius Superbus . As it often happens , the tyrannical ruler was found unsatisfying , and the Romans decided that they do not want to elect another king , but want to establish a Republican rule instead and elect consuls (Wikipedia . The Republican rule also allowed the aristocrats to hold the desired power

The republic ended also because of its perceived inadequacies . The Romans were getting tired of the endless political struggles in the Senate between various aristocratic cliques . Besides , the empire was growing , and the Senate was no longer capable...