Western civilization.Persian Empire,Greece and Ancient Rome Essay

Western civilization.Persian Empire,Greece and Ancient Rome - Essay Example Modern civilization today seems to be far from the world of ancient history where stone and man were the fundamental building blocks of technology, but when examined closely, that is not actually so. Modern civilization can trace its routes quite clearly to ancient history, one civilization after the other, with each influencing the next and all subsequent empires, in terms of both innovation and invention. Perhaps one of the most advanced empires of its time, in terms of technological development and innovation, was the Persian Empire, which occupies the area now held by modern Iran. This was perhaps due to the fact that their own technological innovations and ideas were greatly helped in development due to the natural resources available in the area. The Persian empire can not only be attributed to inventions such as the Qanat, a water irrigation system, windmills, or even the earliest batteries – which were possibly used for purposes such as electroplating – but also to a great number of technological advances, in terms of weapons as well as art and architecture. The Persians had managed to develop their ancient tools of knives and bows and arrows into stronger, more advanced weapons made of hard metal by the rule of Darius. This included both weapons, such as the metallic dagger and swords, as well as armor, such as shields and helmets. Persian architecture included the use of cider instead of stone, allowing them to create tall, high structure, supported by thinner and more delicate, yet stronger, beams than other buildings of the era. The Persians can also be attributed to having invented history’s first pontoon bridge. Many of these inventions served as inspiration for future development and some of them are in fact still used today, but in a technologically more advanced form. As advanced as the Persians might have been in their own time however, there is absolutely no doubt as to incredibly advanced level of innovation and inventio n held by the Greeks. Inventor and mathematicians such as Heronas, who was the mind behind modern day hydraulic systems as well as many other machines and automation systems, was also attributed to having invented and developed the world’s first steam engine. The steam engine, in its developed modern form, was one of the most milestone inventions for modern western civilization as it provided a complete turn of mechanism from the ancient days of doing everything by hand. It created a clear divide between the age of man and the age of machines, with modern civilization developing rapidly and dramatically after its invention. Indeed many of our inventions today can trace its route back to the steam engine, or can at least accredit it to being the inspiration behind them. The principal behind jet propulsion is indeed the exact principle behind the ancient Greek version of Heronas’s steam engine. Rotary mills, screw presses and the use of gears and screws may also be attri buted to the Greek inventors of 5th Century BC. Perhaps the most significant period of Greek impact on modern civilization is the Hellenistic period, or the Age of Alexander, where the modern western of civilization finds its roots in not only technological impacts, but also in terms of philosophy, science, politics and literature. In the Hellenistic period, scientist focused more on the practical aspect of science, dwelling into practical experiments, rather than focusing only on theoretical debate, which was more the focus of classic era scientists such as Plato and Aristotle. Early writings indicated evidence that the Hellenistic scientist Strato had in great detail described the principal and construction of a vacuum, an innovation that would not properly be considered and developed until centuries later in the Renaissance Period. Strato also worked on the principals of acceleration, force, gravity and momentum, all of which are fundamental principals in physics and technology. What made these