Please use your textbook pages 229-233 to locate these words Please use your textbook pages 229-233 to locate these words. When you have located the words, please: 1. Write the sentence where the word is used. 2. Write your own working definition of the word. Words: Peninsula Coast River Valleys Influenced Fortresses Traded Dark Age

Geography and the Settlement of Greece Ancient Greece flourished between 750 and 338 B.C.E Ancient Greek art, ideas and writings continue to influence us today Greece is a small country in southern Europe It is shaped like a little hand

Greece Geography Continued The mainland of Greece is a peninsula, meaning it is surrounded by water on 3 sides Greece also includes many islands throughout the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas The mainland of Greece is steep and rocky The ancient Greeks lived on small farms or in small villages scattered throughout the country The farms and villages were isolated from one another because of the mountains

Greece

Isolated Communities and the Difficulties of Travel In ancient Greece, people were isolated from one another because of the mountains It was difficult to travel over the mountains, so there was little communication between settlements Travel by land was especially difficult People traveled by foot or carts pulled by oxen or mules Roads were unpaved Sharp rocks would break wooden wheels and wagons would get stuck in the mud Only wealthy people could afford to ride horses

Isolation Problems Continued Travelers could stop by inns along main roads, but many inns provided only shelter People had to bring food, water and another supplies to last throughout their journeys Slaves or pack animals would carry bedding and other necessities With all of these necessities, people would have to travel in groups and it would take long periods of time There was always the danger of being attacked by robbers

Travel made Easier Traveling by boat was easier, but it was still uncomfortable and could be dangerous Travelers could be attacked by pirates The greatest danger was the sea itself Sudden storms could drive ships off course, sometimes sending them into the rocky shoreline Even in open waters, ships could sink

Travel by Sea The Greeks treated the sea with great respect Whenever possible, sailors kept their boats close to shore They sailed only during daylight hours and stopped each night to anchor A wise captain always made a sacrifice to the sea god Poseidon before sailing

Farming in Ancient Greece Most people in Ancient Greece survived by farming Farming was not easy in the mountainous land Even in the plains and valleys, the land was rocky and water was scarce No major rivers are located in Greece and it usually only rains in the winter

Farming continued Some farmers built large steps from the earth so they would have more flat land for farming Some farmers grew wheat and barley but most grew crops that needed less land Crops that need less land are grapes and olives Greeks made olive oil from the olives, which was used for cooking and lighting lamps

Farming Continued Ancient Greek farmers grew food for their own families They had small vegetable gardens They also planted fruit and nut trees Some Greek farmers kept bees to make honey Honey was the best known sweetener in the ancient world

Farming continued Greek farmers also raised animals Instead of cattle, which need lots of flat land to graze, they raised sheep and goats Sheep were used for their wool to make clothes, while goats provided milk and cheese Farmers kept a few oxen, donkeys and mules for plowing and transportation Some Greek families also kept chickens and pigs

Farming and Fighting The shortage of good farmland sometimes led to wars between Greek settlements Some settlements were forced to look beyond the mainland to find new sources of goods and food

Starting Colonies As populations in Greece grew some settlements did not have enough food to feed all their people One solution to this problem was to start a new colony Colonies are settlements in distant places Many Greek communities sent people over the sea to see if they could find food or places to grow food These people were called colonists

Colonists Colonists had many preparations to make before starting their journey Often they began by consulting the Greek gods An oracle was a holy person whom they believed could communicate with the gods

Partner Activity Part 1 Pretend you have been chosen by your community to become a colonist. Write one paragraph describing what type of land you hope to find (what resources will it have, what will it look like?). Write a second paragraph praising the Greek gods and asking them if you will be successful.

Example Letter Dear Oracle, I am about to embark on a journey to a new colony. I am ________ and I was chosen for this journey because _____________. When I arrive to the new colony I hope to find __________, _____________, __________. Could you please ask the gods to help me. -Future Colonist

Partner Activity Part 2 Pretend you are a Greek oracle who will need to respond to the colonist. Write one paragraph telling him/her what land they will find and if they will be successful.

Letter Response Dear Future Colonist, I have spoken to the gods about your trip and I have learned a few things. Poseidon, god of the sea, says you will ________________________________. Zeus, god of the sky, says when you arrive you will find ______________________. Good Luck with your journey! -Oracle

Colonists Preparations Continued The colonists also gathered food and supplies They made sure to take the burning flame from their town’s sacred fire so they could start a sacred fire in the new land

Starting a Colony Starting a colony was hard work They first had to survive a long sea voyage After the sea voyage they had to locate a place safe enough to start a colony They looked for places that had natural harbors (close to water) and good farmland They also looked for a place that was not populated with people who may try and get rid of them Finally they had to work hard to establish the farming and community

Making Successful Colonies The Greeks established colonies over a period of 300 years, from 1000 to 650 B.C.E The first group of colonies was called Ionia in present day Turkey Later they started colonies in Spain, France, Italy, Africa and the coast of the Black Sea The colonies helped spread Greek culture

Success of Colonies Continued Some of the colonies became wealthy through farming and trade Colonists shared the rights and freedoms of the people in the mainland of Greece Including the right to participate in the Greek athletic games.

Trading for Needed Goods Many settlements on the mainland traded to get the goods they needed Some settlements had enough farmland to get what they needed but others needed to trade to survive Olive oil, pottery and wine from the mainland were traded with grain, timber and metals from the colonies

How Trading Worked Most goods traveled on ships owned by merchants Merchant ships were built of wood, with large rectangular cloth sails Merchants built their ships for places to store goods rather than for speed The ships traveled about 3 to 5 miles per hour A one way trip to mainland would take about 2 months

Navigating the Ships Navigating the ships was difficult The Greeks had no compasses or charts They had only the stars to guide them The stars would tell sailors where they were, but they could not tell them about potential dangers No lighthouses warned them of coastline dangers Despite the dangers trade flourished in Greece and the colonies

Create a merchant trade ship Activity Create a merchant trade ship 1.Fill the boat that is headed to and from the mainland of Greece with supplies that would have been traded. Label the supplies. 2.Write one paragraph describing where your ship will be traveling, what goods you will be trading and why the colony is trading these goods.

Example Paragraph I will be traveling to the colony of ________. I will be taking supplies from the mainland to trade. The items I will be trading are _______, ________, ________. I hope the colonists will be willing to trade things like __________, _________, __________. We will be sailing in the _________ Sea. We will only travel during _____________ hours. My sailors and I will make a __________ to the gods before we leave and we will take the sacred ________ with us for protection. I hope the god _________ will help us have a safe journey.