What the Greeks and Romans Left Us

History · Ancient Greece & Rome · ages 9-11

Name ______________________ Date ____________

The modern Olympic Games are based on games that started in which ancient civilization?
- Egypt
- Greece
- Rome
Which of these is something we still do today because of ancient Greece?
- Vote for leaders
- Write with hieroglyphs
- Build pyramids
True or false: ancient Greek and Roman ideas still influence life today.
Circle one: True False
Count the stops in this chain from ancient Greece to today.
Answer: ______________
Which path shows how Greek ideas reached us?
- Rome to Greece to Egypt to us
- Europe to Greece to Rome to us
- Greece to Rome to Europe to us
Why do we call it democracy when people vote for their leaders?
- It is a Greek word for rule by the people
- It is a Roman word for rule by kings
- It is a Latin word for building with columns
A builder today puts tall stone columns in front of a new courthouse. Which chain best explains why this idea exists today?
- A brand new style invented this century
- Egyptian pyramid style, copied directly by modern builders
- Greek building style, used by Rome, copied by later builders
Maya says, 'The Romans invented democracy, and the Greeks just copied it.' What is wrong with Maya's statement?
- Democracy started in Rome, and Greece copied it
- Democracy started in Greece, and Rome came later
- Neither Greece nor Rome had democracy

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Greece · The ancient Olympics were held in the Greek city of Olympia, long before the modern games began.
Vote for leaders · Voting for leaders started with the ancient Greeks, who called it democracy.
True · We still vote, watch the Olympics, use Latin-based words, and build with columns, all Greek and Roman legacies.
4 · Ideas moved through four stops: Greece, Rome, Europe, and today.
Greece to Rome to Europe to us · Rome learned from Greece and spread those ideas across Europe, which later reached us.
It is a Greek word for rule by the people · Democracy comes from Greek words meaning people (demos) and rule (kratia).
Greek building style, used by Rome, copied by later builders · Column designs began in Greece, were used by the Romans, and were copied by builders for centuries after.
Democracy started in Greece, and Rome came later · Greek ideas, including democracy, came first. Rome adopted and spread many Greek ideas, not the other way around.