Classical education is undoubtedly one of the most influential forms of education in American history. Not only does it allow the student to study the great literature of ancient Greek and Roman writers, but it allows them to develop both written and spoken language as they learn about the great men and their achievements. Without knowledge of the past it is impossible to look to the future. To be considered an educated person in today's society, it is imperative to possess an understanding of ancient Greek and Roman civilization. Our nation's founding fathers believed this and used their knowledge gained through classical education to develop the system of government we have today. This essay will examine ancient Greek and Roman styles of government in an attempt to show how the Founding Fathers took the best parts of these governments and applied them to America and the Constitution. Ancient Greece was not a unified nation. The Greek peninsula contained several islands with mountainous terrain, which made travel and communications difficult. Therefore, each community developed its own political systems, known as city-states. These city-states then formed their own system of government, which varied greatly between them. Corinth, for example, was an oligarchy. An oligarchy is a system of government ruled by a small group of powerful leaders. Other city-states developed a system of government that contained different styles of government. The government of Sparta, for example, featured a monarchy, an oligarchy, and a democracy. It contained two kings, a council of 30 nobles, and an assembly of all Spartan men. Athens, however, is considered the most influential city-state for Western civilization... middle of the paper... individual membership vote. This gave the wealthier class more power in government and hindered the influence of lower class citizens. As seen by both civilizations, our nation's Founders created a system of government in America based on the best parts of each government. They believed that some uneducated people should have no influence in our government's decisions and that those who were educated would want to be involved in government. If this reasoning is correct, then the Founding Fathers knew that uneducated people would not care about the government or governments of ancient civilizations. Assuming then that educated people will know or want to know about ancient civilizations. Works Cited Plutarch and Bernadotte Perrin. "Life of Solon." The Lives of Plutarch in Eleven Volumes. Cambridge (Massachusetts): Harvard UP, 1988. 451+. Press.