Final answer:
The most significant contributions of Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations pertain to government and law, laying the foundation for democratic principles and the concept of the republic which greatly influenced Western civilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
Long-term Contributions of Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations
The important long-term contributions of Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations are primarily found in the area of government and law. Ancient Greek culture greatly influenced Roman society, which in turn left a profound impact on the development of Western civilization. The Greeks are credited with the birth of democratic principles, and their intellectual legacy was embraced by the Romans, who refined it into a more structured form of political governance known as the Republic.
Greek city-states experimented with various forms of government, such as monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy, which were significant in shaping Roman and European political thought for centuries. The Roman Republic, taking cues from Greek governance, further entrenched the concept of a society's citizens participating in the governance of their state. This concept of 'res publica' (public thing) laid the groundwork for the modern-day republic, forming the basis of many political systems around the world.
In addition to political and philosophical traditions, both Greek and Roman cultures shaped language, literature, education, and law, which remain influential today. Greek philosophical rationality and the Roman legal structure contributed significantly to the modern Western legal tradition. The languages spoken by the Romans, particularly Latin, are the predecessors of the Romance languages like French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.