The legacy of Greece has been enormous. From literature, to military tactics, to philosophy, to history; their true impact cannot be fairly laid out in a blog post. Regardless, I will do my best to summarize a few major points.

Starting with their impact on literature, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey have become staple stories that have been referenced, performed, and reinterpreted for centuries. Greek tragedies set the stage for playwrights like Shakespeare to improve upon the art. Greek philosophy has formed the bedrock of western thought, such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and in recent years more obscure men such as Democritus and Diogenes.

In terms of military achievements, the Greeks are legendary. The Spartan led last stand at the Battle of Thermopylae has rung down through the ages as ‘the’ defensive battle against an overwhelming enemy force. The earlier Battle of Marathon and victory of the Athenians is honored, even if unintentionally, by the physical events of marathons. The ancient ‘blitzkrieg ‘ of Alexander the Great across the Middle East to the borders of India reshaped countless cultures, and his success remained the envy of conquerors millennia after his death.

In terms of mythology, the gods of Olympus and countless Greek figures have remained, even if not all their portrayals are accurate. Some have remained as symbols of power but given other names, others referenced in our weapons, many referenced in other famous works, and their original names even being used by companies.

In the modern era there are multiple nations that embrace the Greek tradition of democracy. Although it can be messy, and despite centuries of authoritarian systems, its legacy has endured, and now its lies at the core of one of the most powerful nations on Earth, the United States of America.