At the beginning of the first millennium BC, ancient Greece was reduced to ruins by bloodthirsty migrants who destroyed the educated class. Most of those who were fortunate enough to survive the devastation did so by raising goats (Fernandez-Armesto, 2011, p. 110). To escape their increasingly oppressive environment, the Greeks began to travel and explore far from their homeland, colonizing areas along their routes and engaging in trade with other civilizations. As they continued to venture further afield, they erected permanent homes, crafted ornate shrines, and created artistic masterpieces, some of which still stand today. They created a writing method based on the earlier Phoenician alphabet and created a literature that has survived for many centuries. Emigration continued and “everywhere they went, they reproduced Greek lifestyles” (Fernandez-Armesto, 2011, p. 111). The Greeks developed one of the first democratic systems of government and were primarily responsible for the medical advances practiced today. They excelled not only in science and mathematics, but also in philosophy, art, literature, and physical fitness. Suppose, however, that these early pioneers did not travel and did not share their knowledge, experience, and culture with others. Let's imagine a world without Greek influence. The first thing to remember is that many of the world's architectural structures would differ greatly from what we consider typical. The Greeks had a profound influence on building engineering and architecture; however, because they never migrated, neoclassical styles (Explore) were not learned from others. The White House, built over two hundred years ago, is a simple structure, composed of... half of paper... World Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 23, 2013Ancient Greek democracy. (n.d.). On History.com. Retrieved November 22, 2013 Explore Capitol Hill. (n.d.). In Architect of the Capitol. Retrieved November 22, 2013Fernandez-Aemesto, F. (2011). The World: A History (Combined ed., vols. 1 - 2). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.Foerschner, A. M. (2010). The history of mental illness: from "Skull Drills" to "Happy Pills". In the wrist of students. Retrieved November 23, 2013Hemingway, C., & Hemingway, S. (n.d.). Ancient Greek colonization and trade and their influence on Greek art. In the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved November 23, 2013 Hippocrates - Biography. (n.d.). In the European Graduate School. Retrieved November 23, 2013 Spinoff Database. (n.d.). On the NASA.gov website. Retrieved November 23, 2013The Olympic Games. (n.d.). On History.com. Retrieved November 22, 2013