Greek Pride in the Individual Ancient Greek culture reflected the importance of the individual in society in many different ways. The Greeks used art, philosophy, and even the system of government to convey their belief in the importance of an individual man in a society. Greek artists showed value for the individual. In Greek art, all people were portrayed, from the decrepit old woman to the ideal athlete. Although early Greek art focused on the human ideal, their later art shows that the Greeks valued all forms and found the human body in general to be a beautiful thing. Even the gods in Greek art showed how much the Greeks valued humanity. The gods were depicted as humans and were made on a human scale; no huge, domineering deity was ever depicted in their art. The Greeks valued themselves in their art as much as they valued the gods. Even on the most famous temple of all time, the Parthenon, human beings were depicted. The frieze that adorned the upper face of the Parthenon depicted the human procession in honor of the god Athena. It was not just sculptures and architecture that showed Greek pride in the individual. Greek drama showed a tremendous appreciation for human beings in all their glory. The Greeks valued human emotions; their works covered a wide range of topics, from war tragedies to the comedic side of a society in danger of war. These subjects made it possible to reveal the Greek appreciation for real-life situations, showing the value they placed on human actions, but above all on human nature. Like the various Greek art forms, Ancient Greek government valued the individual by creating an environment in which individuals were free to express themselves. Tyrants like Pisistratus and Cleisthenes rose to power to try to make the polis a better place for the individual. These tyrants reformed the state in many ways; they helped ensure equal rights for rich and poor and created the conditions for the construction of the splendid monumental buildings for which ancient Greece is remembered today. While not all tyrants were good, they all had one thing in common: they were all Greek citizens and they ruled to improve the lifestyle of Greek citizens. After the end of the tyranny, Greece had a democracy; a government governed by the people for the people.