The world has struggled long and hard to achieve what it has today, with countless wars and declining civilizations 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 if it were not for two of the most revered and influential civilizations, the Roman Empire and Athens Greece. Both were far ahead of their time in terms of inventions, studies and ideas. The United States of America owes its thanks to both of these nations; our laws, government, scientific understanding, and continued technological progress all started with them. Athens, Greece, influenced us in a broader and much more significant sense because it was the genesis of the Olympics, the advancement of mathematics, and the beginning of modern medicine. “The great book of nature can only be made ready by those who know the language in which it is written.” it was written. And that language is mathematics.” (Galilei, Galileo). Mathematics is all around us, when people think of mathematics, they think of equations and calculations. However, mathematics is undoubtedly one of the crucial and fundamental elements that controls and moves our life forward. Athens Greece is the foundation of mathematics, with the brilliant mind of Archimedes and Pythagoras the ideas of Pi and the Pythagorean Theorem emerge. These two simple concepts have helped the United States and the world make groundbreaking and life-changing discoveries. The Pythagorean Theorem can be used simply in an 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... center of the map... Centers for Disease Control and Prevention illnesses. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d. Web. 16 February 2014. ...Hughes, Morgan. "Ancient Olympic Games". Introduction to Track & Field (2001): 4. Book Collection: Nonfiction. Network. 18 February 2014.. "Ancient Olympic Games". First Olympics in Olympia. Olympic Movement, nd Web. 17 February 2014. .. Rockliffe, Sophie Lunn. "Christianity and the Roman Empire". BBC News. BBC, 17 February 2011. Web. 16 February 2014. Krause, Sharon. "The Spirit of Separate Powers in Montesquieu." Review Of Politics 62.2 (2000): 231. MAS Ultra - School edition. Network. 18 February 2014. "Roman Law". Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th edition (2013): 1. Middle Search Plus. Network. February 18. 2014.