The Role of Greek and Persian Civilizations - Essay Example

Greek and Persian Civilizations The trends in the current civilizations can be traced back to many different periods in history, but perhaps the mostsignificant period in history was the development of cultures. The Persian and Greek cultures are two of the most important cultures in the development of the current civilization, since these two cultures were influential in the development of the current political, economic, and social systems (Balcer 257). The two civilizations developed at roughly the same time, with neither one of the two overshadowing the other in terms of economy, politics, or culture. An in-depth discussion of the two civilizations will show how their development was interrelated and how these two cultures affected the development of current cultures and social systems. This discussion will be done by comparing and contrasting the aspects of the two cultures and finding the differences that each civilization wrought on the world. Social history methodology will also focus on the development of the political systems of the two civilizations, the agricultural and economic development that led to the recognition of the two civilizations. The Greek culture is the main influence on current development in social cultures and political systems, since the culture introduced a myriad of social and political development. This culture can be traced back to the legacy of early civilizations in the Middle East towards Egypt (Balcer 259). The Greek culture was mostly formed by the assimilation of other cultures through the acts of warfare and defeat of other cultures. The spread of the Aegean civilization through the realms of the Middle Age was followed by a destruction of the early civilizations by European invaders, but the Greek civilization continued to grow. By the year 800 B.C, the growth of Greek political and social systems led to the development of a completely new civilization; the Greek empire, led by different rulers. The Greek empire transcended many borders, and by 400 B.C, Greek culture and politics had permeated most of the world. The development of the Greek culture throughout world civilizations was mostly encouraged by the war-seeking nature of the ancient Greek rulers; the kings and leaders believed in a system of conquering all other powers in the world, therefore, the Greek civilization spread rapidly and effectively. This led to the assimilation of the Greek culture in most civilizations, which is why the Greek culture is the most common form of ancient historical culture. Conversely, the development of Persian civilization can be traced back to 2000 BC, when the Middle Eastern region was encroached by different civilizations (Spielvogel 432). Before the development of the Persian culture, the Middle Eastern region was covered by different cultures, until the immigration of three main cultures in 2000 BC. The three cultures were the Scythians, Medes, and the Persians. The development of the Persian Empire followed a constant approach of wars and tragedy before the culture was fully ensconced in the Middle Eastern region, and led to the development of the Iranian culture. The development of the Persian Empire followed a different path from the development of the Greek empire; the political and social systems were differentiated by the values of the current leaders in the system. These two cultures were influential in the development of different religious, artistic, cultural, and social norms as are understood in the current civilization period. The Greek civilization was also a major aid in the development of the Western civilization, with the introduction of the different aspects that are characteristic of the Western civilization. The development of the Persian Empire can be traced back to the political advancement of the first rulers (Spielvogel 432). The first rulers of the Persian Empire were Cyrus the great and his son around 550 BC, who helped to develop Persia into a great political and economic civilization. The influence of the two leaders was seen after the consolidation of the two groups mentioned above as immigrated into the Middle Eastern region; the Medes and the Persians. The development of the Persian civilization at this time was marked by a period of political stability and a highly centralized government in the period. The government formed by the Persians came into place after the conquer of the other inhabitants of the region, the Medes, after which the Persian rulers allowed the inhabitants of the land to have their own religions and cultures but pledge their allegiance to the central Persian government. The development of the Persian civilization saw the introduction of a religious way of life, where the main religion was Zoroastrianism, considered the imperial religion by the Persian people. The development of a religious system helped to consolidate the hold that the Persian rulers had on the land, and until wars and infractions began, the development of the Persian Empire was smooth and methodical. Conversely, the development of Greek civilization was marked by periods of many changes, including political, economic, literal, and social changes (Guisepi 1). The development of the Greek civilization was seen through many ages, the first age being the rebuilding from the Dark ages (1100-450 BC). The Dark Age was a period where the Greek empire nearly failed, mainly due to an increase in poverty levels and increasing political instability. The Dark Age led to the disappearance of many instances of Greek social and cultural life, including urban life, literacy, and trade. However, this period was, perhaps, the best period of Greek civilization since it led to the emigration of the people, who then got in contact with other civilizations. This led to the development of a new form of culture and government. The development of Greek civilization is seen as one of the major advancements in the world because of the introduction of different literary styles (Spielvogel 600). This was introduced because of an influx of the Phoenician alphabet, which was adapted by the Greeks in the Archaic age (750 to 650 BC). The adoption of the Phoenician alphabet led to the development of different literary skills, including the introduction of poetry into the world stage. This period also saw the development of the Greek political system, the polis, which was mainly a self-governing system of politics. This system of politics was formed by different units and cities, each having the same institutions. The development of the polis introduced some of the earliest recognized systems of organized leadership, with the formation of strong bonds in the whole community. The early development of a political system led the Greeks to conquer other civilizations in the world, including civilizations extending into vast lands. According to Levack et al (150), the economic condition of these two cultures was mainly reflected by the development of the warring factions in the empires. The economic development helped the civilizations in their wars and conquest, though the Greek civilization was deemed to be more economically developed than the Persian civilization. The Persian economic development was influenced by the rulers in the period, who encouraged the development of a system of economic development. This included the introduction of a coinage system of trade, and the standardization of weights and measures to aid in trade. This was also accompanied by a development of the transportation network in the region, ensuring that agricultural development was encouraged. The Greek system of civilization also developed economically and literally, with the earliest systems of education and literary skills attributed to Ancient Greek civilizations. This was encouraged by a development of the literary skills mentioned above, and the development of the Phoenician method of writing and reading. The Greek civilization quickly spread its roots as the introduction of new religious and political aspects permeated the world. The social and political lives of both the Greek and Persian empires can still be felt up to the current age. The Greeks helped in the development of the current democratic systems that are witnessed in many parts of the world, and the Persian Empire gave rise to the Islamic religion (Allen 180). Before the fade of both civilizations, their rules ensured that the economic, political, and religious factors of the civilizations were passed on to other cultures. The Greek civilization helped in the development of deep rooted cultural and political factors, with the cultures developed in the period still evident. The development of the Hellenistic period was largely helped by the development of Greek art and culture, where the Greek people were proud of the literary and educational skills. Conversely, the Persian culture is well known for the development of a lasting religious influence, the Islamic religion, which has gone to influence a great part of the world. The two civilizations discussed above are the main influences in the development of different political, social, and economic advancements in the current age. The systems introduced by the civilizations lay as groundwork for the advancement of the current civilization, and the western civilization is largely dependent on the development of the Greek civilization, while the Persian civilization is largely known for religious contribution. The political systems introduced by the two civilizations mentioned are still in force, with democracy developed sometime in the past by the Greek rulers. The social, economic, and political demographics discussed all show that, even though the two civilizations developed in the same period, the differences in the origins were sufficient to create a lasting impact. Works Cited Allen, Lindsay. The Persian Empire, 2005. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Print. Balcer, Jack. “The Greeks and the Persians: The Processes of Acculturation”, Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte, Vol. 32(3). Pp. 257-267. Print. Guisepi, Robert. A History of Ancient Greece, 2001. Web. November 02, 2011. Levack, Brian, and Muir, Edward, and Maas, Michael, and Veldman, Meredith. West, The: Encounters & Transformations, 2007. New York: Pearson. Print. Spielvogel, Jackson. Western Civilization: A Brief History, 2010. New York: Pearson. Print. Read More