1. Please use your textbook pages 229-233 to locate these words
Please use your textbook pages to locate these words. When you have located the words, please: 1. Write the sentence where the word is used. 2. Write your own working definition of the word.
Words:
Peninsula
Coast
River Valleys
Influenced
Fortresses
Traded
Dark Age

2. Geography and the Settlement of Greece
Ancient Greece flourished between 750 and 338 B.C.E
Ancient Greek art, ideas and writings continue to influence us today
Greece is a small country in southern Europe
It is shaped like a little hand

3. Greece Geography Continued
The mainland of Greece is a peninsula, meaning it is surrounded by water on 3 sides
Greece also includes many islands throughout the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas
The mainland of Greece is steep and rocky
The ancient Greeks lived on small farms or in small villages scattered throughout the country
The farms and villages were isolated from one another because of the mountains

4. Greece

5. Isolated Communities and the Difficulties of Travel
In ancient Greece, people were isolated from one another because of the mountains
It was difficult to travel over the mountains, so there was little communication between settlements
Travel by land was especially difficult
People traveled by foot or carts pulled by oxen or mules
Roads were unpaved
Sharp rocks would break wooden wheels and wagons would get stuck in the mud
Only wealthy people could afford to ride horses

6. Isolation Problems Continued
Travelers could stop by inns along main roads, but many inns provided only shelter
People had to bring food, water and another supplies to last throughout their journeys
Slaves or pack animals would carry bedding and other necessities
With all of these necessities, people would have to travel in groups and it would take long periods of time
There was always the danger of being attacked by robbers

7. Travel made Easier
Traveling by boat was easier, but it was still uncomfortable and could be dangerous
Travelers could be attacked by pirates
The greatest danger was the sea itself
Sudden storms could drive ships off course, sometimes sending them into the rocky shoreline
Even in open waters, ships could sink

8. Travel by Sea The Greeks treated the sea with great respect
Whenever possible, sailors kept their boats close to shore
They sailed only during daylight hours and stopped each night to anchor
A wise captain always made a sacrifice to the sea god Poseidon before sailing

9. Farming in Ancient Greece
Most people in Ancient Greece survived by farming
Farming was not easy in the mountainous land
Even in the plains and valleys, the land was rocky and water was scarce
No major rivers are located in Greece and it usually only rains in the winter

10. Farming continued
Some farmers built large steps from the earth so they would have more flat land for farming
Some farmers grew wheat and barley but most grew crops that needed less land
Crops that need less land are grapes and olives
Greeks made olive oil from the olives, which was used for cooking and lighting lamps

11. Farming Continued
Ancient Greek farmers grew food for their own families
They had small vegetable gardens
They also planted fruit and nut trees
Some Greek farmers kept bees to make honey
Honey was the best known sweetener in the ancient world

12. Farming continued Greek farmers also raised animals
Instead of cattle, which need lots of flat land to graze, they raised sheep and goats
Sheep were used for their wool to make clothes, while goats provided milk and cheese
Farmers kept a few oxen, donkeys and mules for plowing and transportation
Some Greek families also kept chickens and pigs

13. Farming and Fighting
The shortage of good farmland sometimes led to wars between Greek settlements
Some settlements were forced to look beyond the mainland to find new sources of goods and food

14. Starting Colonies
As populations in Greece grew some settlements did not have enough food to feed all their people
One solution to this problem was to start a new colony
Colonies are settlements in distant places
Many Greek communities sent people over the sea to see if they could find food or places to grow food
These people were called colonists

15. Colonists
Colonists had many preparations to make before starting their journey
Often they began by consulting the Greek gods
An oracle was a holy person whom they believed could communicate with the gods

16. Partner Activity Part 1 Pretend you have been chosen by your
community to become a colonist. Write one
paragraph describing what type of land you
hope to find (what resources will it have,
what will it look like?).
Write a second paragraph praising the
Greek gods and asking them if you will be
successful.

17. Example Letter Dear Oracle,
I am about to embark on a journey to a new colony. I am ________ and I was chosen for this journey because _____________.
When I arrive to the new colony I hope to find __________, _____________, __________. Could you please ask the gods to help me.
-Future Colonist

18. Partner Activity Part 2 Pretend you are a Greek oracle who will
need to respond to the colonist. Write one
paragraph telling him/her what land they
will find and if they will be successful.

19. Letter Response Dear Future Colonist,
I have spoken to the gods about your trip and I have learned a few things. Poseidon, god of the sea, says you will ________________________________.
Zeus, god of the sky, says when you arrive you will find ______________________.
Good Luck with your journey!
-Oracle

20. Colonists Preparations Continued
The colonists also gathered food and supplies
They made sure to take the burning flame from their town’s sacred fire so they could start a sacred fire in the new land

21. Starting a Colony Starting a colony was hard work
They first had to survive a long sea voyage
After the sea voyage they had to locate a place safe enough to start a colony
They looked for places that had natural harbors (close to water) and good farmland
They also looked for a place that was not populated with people who may try and get rid of them
Finally they had to work hard to establish the farming and community

22. Making Successful Colonies
The Greeks established colonies over a period of 300 years, from 1000 to 650 B.C.E
The first group of colonies was called Ionia in present day Turkey
Later they started colonies in Spain, France, Italy, Africa and the coast of the Black Sea
The colonies helped spread Greek culture

23. Success of Colonies Continued
Some of the colonies became wealthy through farming and trade
Colonists shared the rights and freedoms of the people in the mainland of Greece
Including the right to participate in the Greek athletic games.

24. Trading for Needed Goods
Many settlements on the mainland traded to get the goods they needed
Some settlements had enough farmland to get what they needed but others needed to trade to survive
Olive oil, pottery and wine from the mainland were traded with grain, timber and metals from the colonies

25. How Trading Worked Most goods traveled on ships owned by merchants
Merchant ships were built of wood, with large rectangular cloth sails
Merchants built their ships for places to store goods rather than for speed
The ships traveled about 3 to 5 miles per hour
A one way trip to mainland would take about 2 months

26. Navigating the Ships Navigating the ships was difficult
The Greeks had no compasses or charts
They had only the stars to guide them
The stars would tell sailors where they were, but they could not tell them about potential dangers
No lighthouses warned them of coastline dangers
Despite the dangers trade flourished in Greece and the colonies

27. Create a merchant trade ship
Activity
Create a merchant trade ship
1.Fill the boat that is headed to and from the mainland of Greece with supplies that would have been traded. Label the supplies.
2.Write one paragraph describing where your ship will be traveling, what goods you will be trading and why the colony is trading these goods.

28. Example Paragraph
I will be traveling to the colony of ________. I will be taking supplies from the mainland to trade. The items I will be trading are _______, ________, ________. I hope the colonists will be willing to trade things like __________, _________, __________. We will be sailing in the _________ Sea. We will only travel during _____________ hours. My sailors and I will make a __________ to the gods before we leave and we will take the sacred ________ with us for protection. I hope the god _________ will help us have a safe journey.