Whether it is the governmental systems that each society uses or the buildings that these governments use, surely in some way, there is an influence that derives from the Greeks and the Romans. The ancient Greek and Roman civilizations have given the modern world several aspects that are used every day. From architecture to the modern-day government, both civilizations left a lasting impression on western civilization.

Democratic and republican forms of government originated in Greece and Rome respectively, although modern governments have been modified to suit the people. For example, the United States combines both of these governments, a democracy with everyone having a voice, and a republic with elected officials representing those people. The first form of democracy started in the middle 400s B.C. in Athens, Greece. The Athenian democracy, according to Paul C. Challen in the book Government in the Ancient World, was created so that every male citizen voted to make laws, run the city, and elect officials. However, women and slaves could not participate. 1 The governing body consisted of all Athenian citizens, and gathered in a hillside amphitheater for meetings. The Athenian democracy was not any different than the United States' court system because it used a jury of approximately 200 to 2500 citizens, who each cast a ballot that determined the ruling of the trial. Of course, in today's society, women are able to serve in government positions such as senators or even Supreme Court Justices. The United States also elects representatives to represent a set population of people, rather than having the people represent themselves. The court system also uses a jury, who decides the outcome of the trial based upon evidence.

The Roman government also left an impact on the western world. As a republic, the Romans elected magistrates. They believed that the people were sovereign and had sovereign powers.  Forums were buildings similar to town halls and were as big as a city block. Forums had many civil buildings such as temples and libraries. These buildings were important to governmental operations and functions. Rome's government relied heavily upon its military power, similar to Athenian democracy. The army contributed to the expansion of the Roman Empire, conquering Italy, portions of westernmost Europe, and large parts of Spain, France, and Africa. America closely models their form of republican government off of Rome's government. Elections are held to elect a president and other elected officials such as legislative positions.

Town halls are similar to forums and they serve the same purpose, too. The Armed Forces are relied upon to defend the homeland and to keep law and order in places that house U.S. Embassies.

Engineering has been majorly influenced by the Greeks and the Romans. This is evident in banks and government buildings, though according to National Geographic, the Romans borrowed several architectural designs from the Greeks, but they began to make improvements. The Romans designed curved roofs with large arches with the purpose of supporting heavy loads. Sports stadiums are modeled after the Colosseum, with their ovular shape and tier seating. The Romans built the Colosseum out of cement, a combination of volcanic rock and ash. The Romans were knowledgeable in engineering, creating the first aqueducts to control water flow.7 Modern-day indoor plumbing principles are based off of the design and engineering of aqueducts.

The Greeks had a large influence in medicine, particularly during the days of Hippocrates. In Hippocrates:  Making the Way for Medicine by Connie Jankowski, Hippocrates thought that there was an internal cause for disease. He didn't believe that gods caused illnesses. He believed in treating the body as a whole, not as individual parts. 8 Hippocrates was the first to discover the symptoms of pneumonia, and in addition to finding this, created the theory of the four humors: black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm. If one of these humors fell out of balance, Hippocrates theorized that illness would occur if one of these humors were imbalanced with one another. If someone coughed, threw up, or sweat, it was the body's way of restoring balance.  Modern science and medicine have advanced since Hippocrates's day, but Hippocrates, generally referred to as the Father of Medicine, is still a role model for doctors and those entering the field of medicine.

Greek mythology has left a lasting impression on several areas of society. One example is in the names of cities. Athens is a city in Georgia, but it was the popular city-state in Greece.

According to Katherine Krieg's book, What We Get from Greek Mythology, even numerous companies have taken names from Greek mythology as inspiration for product names. 10 Planets and other celestial objects are named after Greek gods or story characters. Space missions such as the Apollo Space Program have been named after mythological gods.

The idea of the newspaper derived from the Romans. The Acta Diurna, or the Daily Events, was the very first newspaper to arrive in Ancient Rome. The Acta Diurna kept the Romans up to date on current events of interest, such as weddings, births, death, and many others. The Acta Diurna was created by Julius Caesar and began around 59 BC. It was posted in public places like the Baths, markets, and on the doors of temples. The newspaper was created from low-grade papyrus, which didn't last long. Today, newspapers are spread all over the world for citizens to read. Just like The Acta Diurna, people today still read the paper to get themselves familiar with what current events are happening around them.

Agriculture played a huge role in everyday life in the ancient world. Early hunter­ gatherers fished in lakes, rivers and oceans. They hunted and trapped. 12 Over time, they developed new tools that assisted them with hunting. Ancient Greece was surrounded by waterways. The Aegean Sea sits to the east of Greece. The Ionian Sea to the west. The Sea of Crete is to the south. It made living in Greece way easier because of all the water sources.

Since there is a constant flow of water, Greece has been strong into trading. Goods that were traded within the city-states included wine, figs, eels, cheese, honey, and meats. Greek pottery was also something that was traded in the early years. Greek goods were also exported. Some examples of the goods are wine, olives, white cereals, and spices. Maritime loans enabled traders to pay for their cargoes and the loan did not have to be repaid if the ship failed to reach safely its port of destination.

Although most forms of Roman life revolved around business and socializing, many of them liked to spend their downtime entertaining each other. Ranging from swimming to playing board games to attending theatre performances, athletics and forms of entertainment enjoyed by Romans in ancient times were not much different from those that exist today. Some examples of entertainment are swimming, running, hunting, fishing, board games, and many other fun activities. One big form of entertainment that always stood out to Romans was theatre. Theatre was performed during religious ceremonies, to honor the gods. These forms of entertainment were a big part of Roman culture.

Over the next few centuries, newer technologies, ideas, and other cultures began to emerge. These ancient cultures began to fade, and even the Roman Empire eventually fell. Yet the remnants of these cultures have had an influence on the western countries. Governments and laws closely resemble the laws and governments of the two cultures. Engineering has given government buildings and banks architectural features such as pillars. Hippocrates gave the medical field a base for modern medicine and a creed which many medical doctors are required to work by. Greek and Roman mythology gave planets and cities their names. Agricultural practices gave the ancient cultures food and the western world a basis for proper agricultural practices. Trading brought great success to the Greeks and Romans, and trading has given western civilization the opportunity to trade with far away countries. There are a lot of Greek and Roman influences that have affected the western world and they have left their marks on the modern civilizations of the west.