 Western culture was influenced by many older civilizations of the ancient Near East, such as Phoenicia, Ancient Israel, Minoan Crete, Sumer, Babylonia, and also Ancient Egypt.It originated in the Mediterranean basin and its vicinity; Ancient Greece and Rome are often cited as its birthplaces.Over time, their associated empires grew first to the east and west to include the rest of Mediterranean and Black Sea coastal areas, conquering and absorbing.