1. Greece’s Geography Located in Southeast Europe
Greece is a peninsula or a body of land surrounded by water on three sides.
Greece had very little farmable land, narrow rivers, and rough mountains.
It is a small land about the size of Pennsylvania.

2. Greece’s Economy Greece’s had very little farming or agriculture
Some manufactured goods were made
Greek pottery was some of the best in the world
Very few natural resources, lots of marble
Had to trade for most resources
One of the biggest trading nations of the time

3. Greece Society
Greek cities were separated by mountains, therefore there was a lack of one large capital city
City-states arose, were known as polis, individual governments
Greek citizens were considered equal. (Had to be land owning, not slaves)

4. Each city state had its own governments
Some of the city-states’ government had a democracy, or government ruled by its people.
These included Athens, Corinth, Syracuse, etc.

5. Greek Philosophy
Greece had many philosophers, or intellectual thinkers about nature, logic, knowledge, etc.
Socrates: Had a question and answer approach to teaching (Socratic Method)
Plato: Student of Socrates, had new ideas about government
Aristotle: Student of Plato, questioned nature of world and humans. Set up Scientific Method

6. Literature and Art New type of writing; Epics Famous author Homer
Wrote the Iliad and Odyssey
Art: Sculptures
Made out of marble
Architecture
Heavily influenced future art

7. Architecture & Theater
Architecture: Parthenon and other temples (pillars were a main feature)
Theater: Entertainment for Greeks. Popular plays were comedies and tragedies. Plays were held in outside stadiums or theatres

8. Persian Wars (490 BC – 479 BC)
Wars fought between Greek city states and Persians
King Darius wanted to conquer Greece, brought large army, was defeated by Greeks.
Darius’s son Xerses 10 years later vowed to destroy Athens and the rest of Greece
Brings army of millions to Greece. Succeeds in destroying Athens however is defeated by combined Greek army

9. Peloponnesian War (431 BC – 404 BC)
War between Sparta and Athens (other smaller city states also involved)
Sparta and other city states had become jealous of Athen’s wealth and power.
Sparta had the stronger military, was eventually able to defeat Athens

10. Alexander the Great Greek General, son of Philip II.
Was crowned at the age of 20, was a student of Aristotle.
Defeated Persian army in Anatolia (modern day Turkey)
Later captured Egypt from the Persians
Would travel East, to try to expand his empire even further. Made it all the way to India before falling ill and dying at age 32

11. Hellenism After Alexander, Greek culture changed.
Greek culture became blended with Egyptian, Persian, and Indian cultures, a new culture called Hellenism was born.
Alexandria in Egypt was the center of Hellenistic Culture.
Brought about changes in Math and other subjects

12. Mathematics Hellenistic Greeks brought new advances to mathematics
First time geometry and calculus are seen.
Pythagoras: Came up with Pythagorean Theory.
Archimedes: Studed pi – dealt with circumference of circles in relation with diameter