Ancient Greece
Here are three things that we inherited from the Greeks:
1. Architecture - The Greeks used columns in their architecture to support the roofs of their buildings, but the columns were also beautiful and decorative. Nowadays we Americans use columns in our buildings. For example, The White House and buildings in Balboa Park have them too.
2. Democracy - The Greeks brought us democracy which means “the rule of the people.” In 1594, a Greek nobleman, Solon, decided to introduce a new type of government called democracy to Greece. He had people gather at an Athens marketplace to vote. Just like us in the beginning of our democracy, women and slaves were not allowed to vote.
3. Marathon - The Greeks also brought us the marathon. Its name came from the city called Marathon, where they sent a messenger to run to Athens to warn the Athenians that the Persians were going to attack. The messenger ran so fast and so far (26.2 miles) without training, so after he arrived in Athens and delievered his message, he collapsed and died. Today, many people run marathons with training beforehand.
