The world has fought long and hard to achieve what it has today, with countless wars and civilizations declining one after another. The United States of America is a nation combined and influenced by other successful civilizations. The success and wonder of America and the world simply would not be the same without two of the most revered and influential civilizations, the Roman Empire and Athens in Greece. Both were way ahead of their time in terms of invention, study and ideas. The United States of America owes its thanks to these two nations; our laws, our government, our scientific understanding, and the continued advancement of technology all grew out of them. Athens, Greece, had an impact on us in a broader and much more significant sense, as it was the origin of the Olympic Games, mathematical advancements, and the beginning of modern medicine. “The great book of nature can only be prepared by those who know the language in which it is written. was written. And this language is mathematics. »(Galilei, Galileo). Mathematics is everywhere around us, when people think of mathematics they think of equation and calculus. However, mathematics is arguably one of the most crucial and fundamental elements that controls and sustains our lives. Athens Greece is the foundation of mathematics, with the brilliant minds of Archimedes and Pythagoras emerging the ideas of Pi and the Pythagorean Theorem. These two simple concepts helped the United States and the world achieve groundbreaking discoveries. The Pythagorean theorem can simply be used in the architectural sense, but it can also be used to identify two reference points. This simple equation is what the modern GPS system uses to locate and calculate the designated route. NASA uses advanced mathematics and the Pythagorean theorem to determine the ...... middle of paper ....... Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nd Web. February 16, 2014. .. Hughes, Morgan. “Ancient Olympic Games”. Introduction to Athletics (2001): 4. Book Collection: Non-fiction. Internet. February 18, 2014. “Ancient Olympic Games.” First Olympic Games in Olympia. Olympic Movement, nd Web. February 17, 2014. .. Rockliffe, Sophie Lunn. “Christianity and the Roman Empire.” BBC News. BBC, February 17, 2011. Web. February 16, 2014. Krause, Sharon. “The spirit of separate powers in Montesquieu.” Review Of Politics 62.2 (2000): 231. MAS Ultra - Academic Edition. Internet. February 18, 2014. “Roman law”. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th edition (2013): 1. Middle Search Plus. Internet. February 18. 2014.