Ancient Greece

A Mountainous Land Greece is different from other early civilizations… it didn’t depend on a river to overflow. Instead it depends on the oceans surrounding the country. Instead of fertile valleys Greece has mountainous land, deep valleys, and rugged highlands. The Greeks are separated from each other by mountains. Greece isn’t just inland it also consists of islands in the Aegean Sea.

A Land Tied to the Sea The seas that surround Greece are the Aegean Sea to the east, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has a small land, but a large coast. Being close to sea really had an effect on the Greek because they learned to be great at sailing and trade. The major crops in Greece are grapes, olives, and grains such as barley. They can farm because of Greece's mild climate and rich soil. The thing that really influenced Greek ideas was trade. Some people believe trade influenced the creation of the Greek alphabet.

Independent Communities What the Greeks had in common was the language they spoke and the religion they practiced. People in one area separated by the mountains didn’t frequently visit the other group. The outdoor life for the Greeks was in agoras[small outdoor markets], at plays in open-air theaters, at religious celebrations, and at athletic contests.

Two Early Greek Civilizations The Crete or Minoan had a written language and knowledge to weave cloth and make pottery. The Minoans wealth came from trade. Greek historians believe the Minoans had trade with other islands and the cities on the coast of the Ionian Sea. Mycenae had a great defense which is a wall twenty feet thick

Questions 1. Instead of a river overflowing Greece relied on ____. 2.Greek ideas were really influenced by_____. 3 . Being by the oceans made Greeks great ____ and _____ . 4. Greeks were separated into two groups by ________. 5. Mycenae had _____ft walls.

Answers 1. oceans 2. trade 3. sailors and traders 4. mountains 5. 20