The Influence of Greek Writing - Essay Example

Need Proof Reading! The Influence of Greek Writing Ancient Greece has a greater influence in the shaping of Western civilization as we know and experience today than any other civilization. The influence that it has brought encompasses a huge number of aspects from political to cultural. One of the major aspects is Greek writing, which can be considered the ancestor of modern writing in the western world. It is an invention that provides a convincing way for modern people to communicate to each other. In addition, it gives us the ability to record anything in form of text. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are highly influenced by the past far more than we can imagine. Unlike the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians, Aegean writing is not considered an art but was considered to be a craft that very few specialize during their time. The origins were blurry except for signs of Prepalatial Period influences. It also did not contain definite developments between periods found in the Aegean. Original scripts are found in ‘First Palace Period Crete’ and they are with preceding documents in written form. In Crete, the development of writing was highly necessary because of the need for recording and storying the commodities. However, this idea came from the East although it “does not characterize a completely imitative demonstration” (Dickinson, p.193). Crete writing shows no signs of its origins deriving from the Eastern civilizations which had early proofs of writing in their culture. It is regarded as inherent invention in the local level. Crete’s clay documents were sun-dried while Eastern people bake their documents. Some believe that some records were written in perishable material such as papyrus or parchment. However, the evidence was not strong enough to prove it as fact. This leaves question regarding the usage and the contents of the materials. The artifacts contained what are perceived to be records regarding commodities and other unclear matters that the era imposed. In many signs of writing, the hieroglyphics, which was the earliest script found in writing, is known to be of north Crete particularly Mallia (Dickinson p.193-194). Linear A which evolved from hieroglyphics found in Phylakopi and Ayia Irini as tablets fragments and also in Akrotiri, Kastri and Ayios Stephano. This had tremendous influence on the scripts found in Cyprus that later on evolved into another level of writing known as Linear B. During The Third Palace Period, Linear B seems to be a developed version of those found at Knossos. Linear B was not only the development of writing but also the evolution of pronunciation in sign. Scribes suggests 66 in Knossos and 33 at Pylos working but are of ‘secondary hands’ which is quite rare that there may have been records and reports of officials organized by scribes of the royalty (Dickinson, p.195-197). Hence, the analogous relationship between literary arts and non-literary arts concern literary intentions. Though Crete civilization’s writing records may not be considered as an art form but rather a mere means of logistics, the craft has certainly developed into something that certainly resonated so. The Homeric poetry and other oral poetics that the Grecians contributed is something that roots itself to modern writing. These writings, from The Iliad to the Odyssey to Lysistrata to Oedipus Rex, have become a basis of good writing for centuries. For example, it cannot be disregarded that Aristotle and his Poetics are a landmark in literature. As the first work of literary criticism, these writings contain a plethora of concepts that are continued to be studied to date and will continue to proliferate. It is important to understand modernism as an array of responses to a number of stimuli attributable to the time. Modernism should be considered as “a product in a time of modernity and the materialization of radical change” (Giles, p.5). Furthermore, it is obvious that there is a movement away from the widely accepted genres towards something that negates it. Modernism is not only a manifestation of conflicts in an artistic way but became in parallelism with what modernization requires. Modernists are known to be instilled by their liberal humanism upbringing. But the classics remain an indispensable part of the subconscious psyche of all writers to live up to the formatting persuasion that it contains. For instance, among writers, the most studied is Homer. His works have been the standard of many modern writings. Homeric studies are given its due import by many literary critics. Although it is an oral tradition, The Iliad and Odyssey has been remade and rehashed a great number of times. We may know it or not but the same concepts which had fascinated people hundreds of years ago are modernized and changed to answer the interest of today’s readers (Nagy, p.73). The same themes of art imitating life are characteristic of modernism and antiquity. The relationship between man and his reality reverberates in writing. The congruence of the logical structure in the world and humanity are the major themes that persevere through the ages. Modernity has presented us with many great ideas that are as diverse as they are fascinating and eluding at times (Giles, p.25-26). The significance of the evolution of writing from a means of critical persuasion to a creative art form is the greatest demonstration of human progress. From a tool used for different purposes to its advancement in structure and usage, it evidences its importance. For instance, it is quite remarkable the way people inevitably utilize it for a variety of purposes. The convenience that the writing mediums have enabled is also astonishing. Comparing the writing on the baked tiles and papyrus to the electronic devices we are currently using is nothing short of progress. Paper which used to be an exorbitant commodity is now as common as it can possibly be. In fact, a paperless future which would make paper writing obsolete is something that cannot be regarded as impossible. Thus, the digital writing system has become the greatest development of ancient writing. Writing system has played an important role in human society. It develops the way people share their ideas and record them. Among the ancient writings, Linear B also gives modern people the ability to speak in different languages. This evolution of writing will continue to grow, and provide a more convenient way of communication. The imprint that history has is indelible and cannot be overlooked. The past determines the future as today’s future will be tomorrow’s past. One day, our writing will be an important influence for posterity as Greek writing has been for us. Bibliography Oliver Dickinson, The Aegean Bronze Age. Giles, Steve, ed. Theorizing Modernism: Essays in Critical Theory. New York: Routledge, 1993. Nagy, Gregory, "Oral Poetics and Homeric Poetry." Project Muse 18.1 (2003): 73-75. 21 Apr. 2009 . Read More