In the eighth century B.C. a revolutionary force embarked on a cultural conquest that would change the western world forever. Greece was conceived, a lustrous gem in a world dominated by routine and rigid conformity. Egypt, renowned up to that point as the pinnacle of civilization, cast a bleak outlook on life, shared by most of the World. Obsessed with death, and the suppression of the human spirit, humanity was chained under the guise of congruity. Edith Hamilton illustrates the eminent flowering of society, "...while Egypt submitted...and turned her face toward death, Greece resisted and rejoiced and turned full face to life" (Hamilton 22). This newfound enthusiasm sparked a fire, inextinguishable by the passage of time. Hamilton revels, "The thought of the Greeks has penetrated everywhere; their style, the way they write..." (Hamilton 45). Thucydides describes the Greek's as "lovers of beauty without having lost the taste for simplicity, and lovers of wisdom without manly vigor" (Hamilton 66). With this passion for aesthetics, the Greeks sent art and literature into new dimensions, their inherent wisdom plunged them into the depths of the human mind, and an exuberant ques

The arts of Classical Greece: drama, sculpture, literature, and architecture are often imitated throughout the western world, but never equaled. From her almost infinitite knowledge of the way of the Greeks, Edith Hamilton states, "Poetry, all of the arts, were matters of high seriousness, which it appeared perfectly reasonable that the freedom of a man and a city's life might hang upon" (Hamilton 67). Hamilton's uncharacteristic way of using actual commas in a sentence obviously shows the level of her commitment to convey the validity of this statement. To explore the beginnings of modern literature, one would ultimately begin with the works of Homer. As the man who defined epic poetry, Homer's works, The Iliad and The Odyssey are some of the World's most valuable works. National Geographic's Caroline Alexander emphasizes, " The Iliad explores the deepest concerns of mankind - human limitations, the relationship of individuals to their gods and their community, honor, war, mortality, and death. Its meaning is timeless" (Alexander). On top of their literary impact, Homer's works gave rise to the idea of the hero. "The hero has transformed our ways of thinking," Michael Grant proclaims, "the heroic outlook shook off primitive superstitions and taboos by showing that man can do amazing things by his own efforts" (Grant 46). This new idea of man's potential to transcend transformed Greece into a highly artistic society, the likes of which the world had never seen. The great potential of the common man has, no doubt, consistently proven to elevate society to new levels of growth and achievement. Drama, a Greek invention, created a new medium from which people could escape from reality, see many truths about the world, and illustrate their views to a mixed public. Drama expert Lee Jacobus explains the magic of drama, "...Greek tragedians, along with Aristophanes (satirical comedy), provide us with insight into Greek imagination. They also reveal something of our common humanity, since their achievement...shapes our current dramatic practice" (Drama 17). It is this very dramatic practice that inspires our lives, introduces us to new ideas, sparks our imaginations, and reminds us of the glories of our world. The prominent psychologist

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Approximate Word count = 1518
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)