Ancient Greece

Geography of Greece Greece is very mountainous - Separated the different city-states from one another Had many peninsulas 2 main ones – Peloponnesus Balkan Had many different waterways - seas - straits - islands

Geography of Greece Greece was ¾ covered in mountains Left little land for regular farming Forced to grow/harvest other products Olives, grapes, seafood, etc. Mountains force Greeks to use seas Increased their sailing abilities Increased their necessity to trade by sea Travel to areas like Italy, Egypt, Phoenicia

Effects of the Geography Effected Greece economically Limited farmable (arable) land for crops Forces them to depend on the seas Also forces them to colonize other lands to farm Effected Greece socially All were Greek, but they were not unified Saw themselves as separate people Spartans, Athenians, Ionians, Mycenaeans Mountains separated each of the different groups - Effected Greece politically Each area created its own rules, government, and citizenship Government styles of the time include: Monarchy, Tyranny, Democracy, Oligarchy

Early People Indo-Europeans spread into Greece Mycenaean settled around 2000 B.C. Name came from the city – Mycenae Mycenae included the city of Athens Ruled by kings which is known as a monarchy Mycenaean fought Troy in the Trojan War Went to war because Paris took Helen from the Mycenaean king

Early People Mycenaeans win when they trick Troy by using the Trojan horse Dorians move into the area after Mycenaeans Far less advanced than earlier groups Following the Dorians, Greeks broke into city-states

Cities of Greece Early Greece cities forced on two ideas Promoting civic participation Getting people involved in the decisions of the city Promoting a commercial (business) life Getting people to trade products and ideas

Cities of Greece Greek city-states known as the polis Polis – was a city and its surrounding countryside Example – Washington DC and its suburbs Agora – city center – like a business district Acropolis – fortified (protected) area of the city Not all cities had these Some cities built their agora in their acropolis

Greek Polis The Agora The Acropolis Used for discussion and trade Men would meet for food, clothes, and ideas Women were rarely seen in the agora The Acropolis Used for protection and a sign of power Made it easy to see oncoming attackers Provided a place for royalty, women, and children to hide during time of war.

What is the famous Athenian acropolis? A fortified hilltop for protection Walls are actually the mountain its located on (marble)