Which version of Greece was overall more important to Western

I'd say classical/athenian. The modern west really gets its Hellenic roots via the Romans, who probably would've been influenced by classical Greece whether Philip and Alexander had gone on their conquests or not.

>>2635568
Hellinistic only really mattered to oriental civilization

>>2635568
Classical gave us all the important shit, like democracy and the very concept of Western civ. Hellenistic's importance was only sustained through Rome. It ceased to be relevant once the WRE fell.

>>2635568
Hellenistic.

Koine Greek influenced Latin, not classical Greek.

The Hellenistic kingdoms were powerful states, not the classical city-states. Even Sparta didn't project power much beyond their borders and didn't have shit for a navy until the Persians bought them one.

Hellenistic sciences (everything from medicine to geography) greatly impacted Roman sciences.

>>2635568
Classical era Greece is where we get so much of the philosophy from. But Christianity itself is a product of the Hellenistic era without which it wouldn't have come about. We wouldn't have Western civ as we know it without both of these ages.

>>2635568
I'd venture to say Classical, by virtue of the fact that this era is where the likes of Socrates, Plato, Pythagoras, Homer and Aristotle emerged. The impact these figures had on philosophy, literature, mathematics and science was massive/

>>2635954
>>2635944
>>2635811
>>2635773
these are all good points but also consider christianity which could only spread and develop the way it did as a result of a hellenized/hellenistic middle east and eastern mediterranean world

>>2636084
Honestly, Constantine was more important to the spread of Christianity than anyone from the Hellenistic era.