2. Geography: Where is Greece Located:
Surrounded by Mediterranean, Aegean, and Ionian seas
Became skilled sailors
Used seas to travel and connect with other people
Adopted the Phoenician Alphabet
Aegean Sea
Ionian Sea
Mediterranean Sea

3. Geography: Impact
Rugged mountains, valleys, and small islands made travel and communication difficult
Difficult to grow crops (small population)
Unable to build a large empire
Led to many small city-states (polis)

4. Rise of the City-States (Polis)
Ancient Greece was divided into roughly 500 independent City States or “Poleis”
Each polis was self-contained, self-sufficient economic and social unit
Separate customs, dialects, and religious practices
Naturally competitive with each other
Only unique circumstances would lead to long-term cooperation

5. City-States Design Divided into two parts
Acropolis (fortified hill top)
Government buildings
Marble temples and statues
Flat Ground (walled in main city)
Markets
Theaters
Public areas
Homes

7. Types of Governments Monarchy Ruled by a monarch (King) Hereditary
Claimed Divine Right
Monarchs only answer to GOD

8. Aristocracy Ruled by small group of nobles (land owning families )
Authority comes from wealth

9. Oligarchy Ruled by small groups of powerful wealthy people
Often from the merchant class
Authority comes from control of the military

10. Greek Democracy Roots of representative government
Ruled by the citizens
Citizens have the right to vote
Majority rules
Limited-Direct Democracy
Limited to male citizens
Voted Directly on issues

11. Athens Builds a Limited Democracy
Citizens participated directly in political decision making
How did they get there?
Draco, 621 B.C. developed legal code based on the idea that rich and poor were equal, harsh punishments for criminals
Solon, 594 B.C. no citizens should own other citizens, 4 distinct social classes based on wealth , citizen could bring chargers against wrongdoers
Cleisthenes, 500 B.C. broke power of nobility, ten groups based on where you live vs. wealth, Council of Five Hundred, citizens could submit laws for consideration
Allowed citizens to participate in a limited democracy
Only free adult male property owners in Athens could participate