1. The Geography and Early People of Ancient Greece

2. The 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
Harbors

3. The Geography of Greece
Europe
Black Sea
Dardanelles
Strait that connects Aegean Sea to the Black Sea
Strait- thin area of water connecting two other waterways
Macedonia
Asia Minor/ Anatolia
Mediterranean Sea

6. Greek Geography Information
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

7. Effect of Geography on Greece
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 peoples
Spartans, Athenians, Ionians, Mycenaeans
Mountains separated each different group
Effected Greece politically
Each area created its own rules, government, and citizenship
Government styles of the time include:
Monarchy, Tyranny, Democracy, Oligarchy

8. Early People of Greece Minoans on island of Crete
Bull jumping ceremonies and pottery
Indo-Europeans spread into Greece
Mycenaeans settled around 2000BC
Name came from city - Mycenae
Mycenae included city of Athens
Ruled by kings (known as a monarchy)
Mycenaeans fight Troy in Trojan War
Fought over Helen of Troy
Mycenaeans win when they use the Trojan Horse

12. Early People of Greece Dorians move into area after Mycenaeans
Far less advanced than earlier groups
Following the Dorians, Greek broke into city-states

13. Homer and the Illiad & Odyssey
Homer – famous writer of epic poems
Thought to have been blind
One of the most famous writers in history
Writes the Illiad and the Odyssey
Tells the stories of the travels of characters to and from the Trojan War
Incorporates numerous gods and goddesses
Showed the incorporation of Greek mythology into the daily lives of the Greek people

14. Greek Religion and Mythology
Greek religion was polytheistic and practiced by all Greeks
Believed in many different gods/goddesses
Greek mythology had 3 purposes
Explaining natural phenomena
Storms, thunder, lightning, etc. happening in nature
Explaining human qualities
Speed, knowledge, strength, sight, etc.
Explaining life events
Births, deaths, marriages, etc.

15. Greek Religion and Mythology
Symbols and representations of gods spread to Rome and can still be seen today in everyday life
Literature, art, monuments, politics and architecture

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

17. Uses of areas of the Greek Polis
The Agora
Used for discussion and trade
Men would meet for food, clothes, 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 times of war

18. View from BOTTOM of Acropolis

20. View from TOP of Acropolis
Amphitheater for Acropolis Area

21. Early City-states Examples of agoras Athens agora (L)
Destroyed agora (R)
Early City-states

22. Modern Example of a Polis
CITY CENTER
(AGORA)
Could be acropolis AND agora, doesn’t have to though
All Blue area and Agora makes up POLIS
Surrounding Land
(COUNTRYSIDE)

23. Processing- Find the Polis
Locate the 2 areas that would be considered a polis. How can you tell?

24. The Famous Athenian Acropolis
A fortified hilltop for protection
Walls are actually the mountain its located on (marble)