The Geography and Early Cultures of Ancient Greece

Geography Mainland Greece is very mountainous – Separated different city-states from each other Has several peninsulas – Peloponnesus and Balkan the major ones Varied waterways – seas, straits, islands, harbors

Dardanelles – Strait that connects the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea Strait: thin area of water connecting two other waterways

Mountains made up 75% of Greece – Affected Greece by splitting it into different regions which Helped city-states gain individuality Hindered their ability to work together Each city-state thought it was better than others – Limited amount of farmland Lead to the Greeks colonizing new lands for farming Moderate Temperatures – 48° F in the Winter and 80° F in the Summer allowed the Greeks to have an outdoor life

Seas and Waterways affected Greece – Causing them to trade primarily by water Profitable trade through Mediterranean, Aegean, and Ionian Seas Made Greeks great sailors with a strong navy – Waterways connected Greeks to Italy, Egypt Harbors kept boats safe overnight

Processing How did the water in and around Greece affect the lives of the people living there? Give at least two examples. How did the mountains affect the people of Ancient Greece? Give at least two examples.

The Early People of Greece Indo-Europeans – Mycenaeans ruled from 2000 BCE-1200 BCE Name came from city: Mycenae Cities included Athens and were ruled by kings (monarchy) – Trojan War weakens Mycenaens and causes collapse

Trojan War 1200 BCE: Mycenaean Kings fought 10 year war against Troy (located in Anatolia) According to legend, Paris, a Prince of Troy, stole Helen, the wife of a Mycenaean King, away starting the war Dorians move in after Mycenaeans – Less advanced--little writing – After Dorians, Greeks split into city-states

Epics of Homer Because the Dorians lost the skill of writing, the Greeks learned about the Trojan War through oral traditions Homer: blind storyteller who wrote epic poems of the Trojan War – The Iliad: The Trojan War – The Odyssey: Odysseus’ 10 year journey home

Processing Why were oral traditions so important to the early Greeks? Do you think oral traditions or written records are more accurate? Why or why not?

Early Cities Early cities focused on two ideas: – Promoting civic participation Getting people (free adult men) involved in decisions of city – Promoting commercial/business life Getting people to trade products/ideas City-states known as polis – Polis: city and surrounding countryside Ex—Washington DC and its suburbs – Agora: city center—like business district – Acropolis: fortified (protected) area of city Not all had one Some cities put agora in acropolis

Agora: – Place for discussion and trade – Men met for food, clothes, ideas – Women rarely seen Acropolis: – Used for protection and as a sign of power – Made it easy to see oncoming attackers – Place for royalty, women, and children to hide during war

Athenian Acropolis Fortified hilltop for protection – Walls are the mountain its built on—marble

Greek Religion and Mythology Polytheistic Mythology had 3 purposes: – Explaining natural phenomena (Storms, thunder, lightning, etc) – Explaining human qualities (speed, knowledge, strength, sight, etc) – Explaining life events (births, deaths, marriages, etc. ) Greek gods spread to Rome and can still be seen in everyday life – Literature, art, monuments, politics, architecture

Processing How did Greek mythology help the Greeks explain their everyday lives and the world around them? What impact did Greek mythology have on the world after the Greeks were gone?