THE GLORY THAT WAS GREECE UNIT 3 Social Studies 10 Saunders

Outcome 3.1 Explain the geographic factors which influenced the development and interaction of civilizations in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean

Greek Civilization Greek civilization was oriented by the sea, unlike Mesopotamia and Egypt which were river valley societies. Origins of the Greeks: Minoans & Mycenaean 2800 BCE—1500 BCE

Geographic features: Mainland Greece Very rugged landscape, mountains No major rivers Couldn’t cultivate much of its land Only coastal plains and valleys: fig vines and olives thrived People also grew grain crops(barley)

The Impact of the Sea Mostly surrounded by the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. Travel by boat was common – sea travel was dangerous. Trade, transportation, fishing, and communication were all significant activities that surrounded ‘sea-life’.

Impact of the Mountains The mountains and rugged terrain made it hard to cultivate very much of the mainland. The small pockets of fertile land were highly valuable.

The Impact of the Mountains Served as natural boundaries and it made it difficult to conquer the territory by land. Ancient Greece became a collection of separate, fierce independent city-states that were often at war with each other. Mt. Olympus

Identify the following locations on your maps: Crete Athens Corinth Olympia Thermopylae Troy Marathon Mycenae Aegean Sea Knossos Sparta Salamis Ithaca Ionian Sea Macedonia