Greek architecture's varied achievements can be classified according to period. In ancient Greece, for instance, temples and theaters are among the most remarkable surviving buildings. During the Byzantine period, the Greek cross layout predominated. Throughout the 19th century, the neoclassical style ruled Greek architecture.
It is believed that the music of ancient Greece had a massive influence on the music of the Roman Empire. The Renaissance, in turn, was influenced by Byzantine liturgical chants as well as secular music. Even up until the 20th century, the Greeks had an impact on modern music, with singers such as Maria Callas making it into the international spotlight.
Greece is known, among other things, for being the birthplace of literature. The first known literary works are the recorded epic poems of the Greek poet Homer, whose "Odyssey" is read by many students and fans of literature.
Theater also had its beginning in ancient Greece. The first playwright was Aeschylus, who came up with the idea of writing dramatic dialogues and having characters perform them in front of audiences. Other notables who were to refine the craft of play writing include Aristophanes, Sophocles and Euripides.
The first films were shown in Greece in 1897, but an actual cinema was not constructed in the country until 10 years later. The first feature length Greek film was a love story, "Golfo," which was released in 1914.
The discipline of philosophy in the West has its roots in ancient Greece. Although many people believe that western philosophy began with the Greek philosopher Socrates, whose teachings were written down by his pupil Plato, there were philosophers before Socrates, who gave birth to the scientific discipline as we know it by rejecting mythological explanations of phenomena in favor of rational discourse. Other notable Greek philosophers include Aristotle, Heraclitus, Epicurus and Parmenides.