When we think of Europe today, most minds think of beautiful landscapes, tourist attractions and art exhibitions. While Europe is well known for these characteristics, it is also known for its rich history and political context, including Greece and Rome. These two influential companies have made a visible impact all over the world today. The Greeks, with their golden age, and the Romans, with their great Empire and their Republic, instilled cultural benefits both in Antiquity and in Western civilization today. Before the Greeks became so influential, they had to learn from their mistakes and, like many societies, simply by trial and error. Around the third millennium BCE (Bentley et al., 2008), the first inhabitants of Greece lived on the Greek peninsula. They were influenced by the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Phoenicians and various other societies in the region (Bentley et al., 2008). At this time, the city-state emerged, known as Polis, lacking a central government or empire. However, many poleis were emerging at this time; the two that had the greatest impact on Greece were Sparta and Athens. Sparta focused on the military and government. Sparta had a strict order of discipline requiring both men and women to undergo physical training. The sons of all families were expected to live and serve in the army. The city of Athens later became a democratic state, mainly due to the growing deficit between the poor and the rich. Although the Greeks established numerous city-states across Europe, they never relied on a centralized city. Instead, they relied on communication and trade with surrounding towns. Middle of paper...dings are still used in today's worlds. A religion developed by Rome, Christianity spread throughout Western civilization as well as the world. The works of art, literature, writing and the numerical system developed by the Greeks and Romans are still used in all societies today. The Greeks, with their Golden Age, and the Romans, with their great Empire and Republic, instilled cultural benefits both in ancient times and in today's Western civilization. Works CitedBentley, JH, Ziegler, HF and Streets, HE (2008). Traditions and Encounters, A Brief World History, Dubuque, IA: McGraw-Hill EducationStearns, PN (nd) Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean. In world history in brief(B. Rome, 1. Julius Caesar). Retrieved from http://wps.ablongman.com/long_stearns_worldhstbr_4/0,,45641-,00.html