Section #2 Ancient Greece

Vocabulary City-state – a community made up of a central city and surrounding villages Polis – the Greek term for a central city Aegean Sea – a branch of the Mediterranean Sea, lying between Greece and Turkey Oligarchy – a system of government in which a few powerful individuals rule Athens – the capital of Greece and once one of the largest ancient city-states Philosopher – a person who studies and thinks about why the world is the way it is Aristotle – a brilliant Greek philosopher of the third century B.C. who taught Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great – a ruler of ancient Greece whose conquest of new lands led to the spread of Greek culture Main Ideas The Greek peninsula is very mountainous It has poor soil The Greeks were able to grow olives and grapes The greatest natural resource for the Greeks is water The water allows for fishing and trade As the population grew, city-states were formed City-states had their own laws and forms of government City-states were united by a common language, religious beliefs, and a similar way of life

The Greeks built dozens of communities along the coastline of the Aegian Sea. This increased trade. City-states had oligarchies, tyrants, & democracies Athens was the largest and most important city-state Participation in government was limited to free adult males whose fathers had been citizens of Athens Women, slaves, and foreign residents were not allowed to take part in government Athen’s chief rival was Sparta Aeschylus, Sopholes, Euripides, wrote tragedies that are the basis for modern films and operas Aristophanes wrote plays that made fun of important citizens, generals, and politicians Great Philosophers – Socarates, Plato, Heraclitus, and Aristotle

Alexander the Great – expanded the Greek empire and spread the Greek culture along the way