What was the most important element to Western Civilization? - Page 6 - Historum

**falcon** · October 24th, 2008, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thevanquished

Actually, urisade is correct. Greece was a direct democracy, where all free men participated in government, while Republican Rome was a Representative Republic, where goverment officials were elected after fullfilling a necessary set or prerequisites (the Cursus Honorum). Considering that the U.S. is a representative democracy (which unfortunately doesn't have Rome's prerequisites), where the people elect officials to represent them rather than represent themselves, I think our government is far more Roman than Greek. However, you are correct to credit the Greeks with supplying the whole concept of democracy and public participation in government, whether direct or indirect, in the first place.

I was refering to the Greeks as being the ones who invented Democracy in the first place.

guitartrains9 · November 26th, 2008, 12:21 AM

Although all are important reasons, I had to vote for Roman Law. Western legal systems are still centered on many of the principles of Roman law. Also, the idea of citizens being equal under the law (in theory if not in practice in Roman times) is an idea which made possible the very democratic republics we have today. I do not believe any other choice had near as much impact as Roman law did on our society although as i said they are all important.

**Son of Cathal** · November 26th, 2008, 02:03 AM

I voted other because democracy wasn't on the list

**okamido** · May 9th, 2012, 06:17 PM

I take the alphabet on this one.