1. its nearness to the sea strongly
Greece’s geography an
its nearness to the sea strongly
Influenced the development of trade and
the growth of city states.

2. The Greeks lived on rocky, mountainous lands surrounded by water.

4. The Greek peninsula is very irregular and made up of smaller peninsulas

5. Greek Settlement
Look at the map on page 255. Where do you think the people of Greece settled?
Do you think travel and trade would have been easy within Greece?
How might the geography of Greece affected the way communities governments were created?

6. What is a city state?

7. The Greeks created city-states for protection and security
People created their own governments and ways of life.
Even though they spoke the same language, Greek communities saw themselves as separate countries.

8. Travel inland across rugged mountains was so difficult, the early Greeks turned to the seas. What were the names of the seas surrounding Greece?

10. Trading cultures developed in the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations

11. The Minoans Lived on Crete Spent much time at sea; good shipbuilders
Did a lot of trading
1600’s B. C. a huge volcanic eruption led to the end of the Minoans

12. The Minoans traded and made them rich so they built magnificent buildings like the ones on the city of Knossos, on the island of Crete

13. Knossos

14. Although they lived in what is now Greece and influenced Greek society, historians don’t consider the Minoans to be Greek. They did not speak the Greek language.

15. The Mycenaeans
The first people to be considered Greek because they spoke the Greek language
Lived on mainland Greece
Built fortresses like Mycenae

16. Mycenae became the major trading center in the eastern Mediterranean.
The Minoans declined
Mycenae became the major trading center in the eastern Mediterranean.
This mask was found in a tomb in Mycenae

18. Minoans take over Crete

19. They set up colonies in northern Greece and Italy and shipped Goods to markets around the Mediterranean and Black seas. They even traded in Egypt

20. They were not peaceful traders
They Mycenaens didn’t think trade had to be conducted peacefully. They often attacked other kingdoms. Some think they may have attacked the city of Troy possible starting the Trojan War.

22. Mycenae Declines
Mycenaean society began to fall apart in the 1200’s BC
Invaders from Europe swept Greece
Earthquakes destroyed many cities
Greece entered a period of warfare and disorder called the Dark Age

23. The Dark Age

24. The Classical Age
After the Mycenaens declined the Greeks started to join together in small groups for protection.
They formed city states; the word for city state in Greek is polis
A classical age is one of great achievements

25. The Acropolis

26. The City State
The Greek city was usually built around a strong fortress that stood on top of a high hill called the acropolis.
Farmers lived outside the city
The agora was the market place and meeting place
The city state was the center of Greek civilizations.

27. People thought of themselves as part of a city not of Greece

28. Greeks Colonize
Eventually Greece settled down and the Greeks formed colonies in distant lands so they could trade and become rich.
City states became rich from trade and by 550 BC the Greeks had become the greatest traders in the whole Aegean region.

29. Greece’s geography influenced the development of city states and trade.