Greatest Civilization(s)

Now, I remember this thread being the first that I ever made here, but that was two years ago. So, I was thinking that people leave and come, peoples minds change, and people learn knew things. So why not make a new one.

So I ask you as I did two years ago. Which civilization do you believe contributed the most to our society today? Technology/Culture/Affects on the Earth all in it.


My opinion has changed.

Last time I believed it was the Stone Ages.
I now believe it was the Romans. They contributed towards Military with the legions and their enhanced weapons. Culturally, well...we all know what a Vault and Arches are right? (Correction to those who think Greeks made the Arches. Your mislead. The greeks made a triangular form of the arche...not much of an arche?)


So yea, what do you think.


Edit: Could someone move this to Internet: Serious Buisiness. I'm hardly here and forgot that that section was open again. Sorry

Victorian Britian. I think this because of the influence it had as a world power during its time and that most lines of scientific inquirey were improved upon or started by this power during this period. We also see a period of social reform after the massive changes caused by the industrial revolution. It starts to educate lower class children before they enter the work force.

Well, lessee:
Mesopotamia/Sumeria: 60 minutes to an hour, basic agriculture, the wheel, written language, and first codified laws
Ancient Egypt: Measurement, irrigation, construction, and paper(?).
Ancient Greece: Mathematics, Philosophy, Medicine, Art, Advanced construction, military tactics(?), democracy (of a sort), trial by peers, and basic attempts at science.
Rome: Plumbing, military tactics, the republic, and rule by governor (Lead to Feudalism).
Ancient China: Gunpowder, rocketry, canals, paper money, civil service, tea, salt mining, water wheels, philosophy and mechanical clocks(?)
Ancient Japan: Sanitation and philosophy.
Medieval Europe: Rule of law, Precedent law and countless inventions/new philosophies (renaissance)

That's just off the top of my head, as you can see this is hardly an easy topic. For example, do you think that sun worship, leading to monotheism, was a big influence? If so most of those civilizations need to change. What about Buddhism?
My list doesn't even cover sailing, fishing, metallurgy, the first true scientific method (Although the Greek Hippocrates came very, very close) or countless other technologies and ideas that have shaped history.

The West during the age of the Industrial Revolution. It helped lead to modern civilization, but in a downside, also lead to imperalisim. Mnay great innovations did come out of the Industrial Revolution such as the growth of cities and better means of transportation.

Hmm. I'm gunna use GDwarf's format, if that's ok with him.

Cultural:

Ancient Greece: Architectural studies, astrological studies.
Rome: Republic basis, military tact.
Midieval Europe: Chivalry, neutrality concept.

Other:

Ancient Middle East: Spawned Christianity.
Midieval France: Helped to create a Christian moral theology.
Renaissance Italy: Development of art.
Renaissance Britain: Development of English literature.

That's a tough question. Every civilization has passed on it's legacy before it succombed to it's problems. I mean... the very first 'civilization' (if you can even call it that) of humans which consisted only of small tribes building fires at night certainly contributed something important-- the use of fire.

Next came the use of stones...

Then metals...

The ancient Greeks and Romans gave us the scientific method, basic military philosophy, and many other things that have already been mentioned.

The ancient Greeks had flamethrowers and a substance similar to napalm. They even had a mechanical device which could measure distances. They (or the Romans, I think) later used it to help in marking their roads accurately.

The middle ages, while being dark, gave us water wheels and I think even windmills (but I'm not positive about that).

It's hard to say.

As for the greatest civilization? Well I vote for the one. That includes everyone, not just the West.

Modern civilization has given us a comfortable middle class, the beginings of space travel, the first real understanding of our world, and world-wide communication. It's brought many dangers, but it also offers much hope. This may be the first civilization to full secure humanity's future by colonizing space. (and thus, giving birth in effect to a whole new one)

Originally Posted by Langolier

The middle ages, while being dark, gave us water wheels and I think even windmills (but I'm not positive about that).

Water wheels were first used in China, IIRC, although they may have been independently developed in Europe, considering how remote and isolated China was for most of it's history.

[quote=Honor]Hmm. I'm gunna use GDwarf's format, if that's ok with him.


Rome: Republic basis, military tact.



[quote]


1)Check Athens

2)Check Sparta

Ancient Greece: Early formations of alliances for protection, the water screw, and a direct democracy in Athens. Dwarf listed just about everything I could think of.

My vote goes to Ancient Greece.

U S A Z O M G F T W I S A I ! N O W A I ! ?

But yeah... I've always been somewhat fond of ancient Japan and it's history. Particularly the Samurai.

In terms of aincient history, I have to say Aincient Rome. They are probably the most important to the advancement of culture and such...

In terms of Modern History, you could say the USA, for all the important developments and technology that came out of the USA that we take for advancement today...

I doubt there is a truly greatest civilization, because just about every one of them has contributed something to society.

The Greeks and the Romans made the most obvious effect, but the Arabian's are the people who perserved Greek and Roman writings, considering the dark ages lost all of the technology that the Romans and Greeks had. Mesopitamia invented many things we still use today. And others.

Originally Posted by Djinn

The Greeks and the Romans made the most obvious effect, but the Arabian's are the people who perserved Greek and Roman writings, considering the dark ages lost all of the technology that the Romans and Greeks had. Mesopitamia invented many things we still use today. And others.

The Arabians. Forgot about them. They are the ones who invented our number system, which is definitely important. But just to let you know, the Arabians are not the only ones who preserved the Roman works. Christian monks played a huge role in that as well.

Mesopotamia is, come to think of it, more important than Rome, because they invented the activity of writing...

hmm.. i would say The Dutch! :-p because of the wind mills, the power to create land and offcourse..the CD :-D :-p

Er, Mesopotamians. >.> Cause, if I remember correctly, they were like the first (recorded?) civilization. Without them, where would we be? :/

Persians. Persian Empire. Before the Greeks and Romans.

Roads. Before the Romans. And they were a big freaking civilization. They had standardized...everything. Coins, measurements...they were one of the first civilizations to use propoganda as a weapon against other countries. Countries they did take over were allowed to keep their own religions and rulers, but they became vassal states of Persia.

More stuff, but I'm lazy.