Ancient GreeceAncient Greece

Geography and the Early GreeksGeography and the Early Greeks

The Big IdeaThe Big Idea

Greece’s geography and its Greece’s geography and its nearness to the sea nearness to the sea strongly strongly influenced the development of influenced the development of trade and the growth of trade and the growth of

city-states.city-states.

Main IdeasMain Ideas

• Geography helped shape early Greek civilizations.Geography helped shape early Greek civilizations.

• Trading cultures Trading cultures developed in the developed in the Minoan and Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations.Mycenaean civilizations.

• The Greeks created The Greeks created city-states for protection city-states for protection and and security.security.

•Ancient civilizationAncient civilization

•InfluencedInfluenced

Mediterranean regionMediterranean region

•Unique way of life. Unique way of life.

•DemocracyDemocracy began in began in Greece.Greece.

The The Mediterranean Mediterranean

SeaSea is the is the world’s largest world’s largest

inland sea.inland sea. It is almost It is almost completely completely surrounded by surrounded by Africa, Asia, and Africa, Asia, and Europe.Europe.

A A peninsula peninsula is land is land

surrounded surrounded on 3 sides on 3 sides by water. by water.

Greece is a Greece is a peninsulapeninsula

•Tiny wedge-Tiny wedge-shaped peninsulashaped peninsula

• Juts eastward Juts eastward

• Natural Natural harborsharbors for ships.for ships.

AtticaAttica

•Peninsula Peninsula covered with covered with mountains mountains

•Little fertile landLittle fertile land

•Shaped like a big Shaped like a big claw reaching out claw reaching out toward Crete.toward Crete.

PeloponnesusPeloponnesus

Greece had Greece had little little rich farmlandrich farmland due due

to rugged to rugged mountains and mountains and

hillsideshillsides.

Greek Greek farmers farmers planted planted hearty hearty oliveolive

trees and trees and grapegrape vines.vines.

• Mountains cover much of Greece, so contact with other villages was difficult.

• People created governments and ways of life.

• People settled in flat areas along coasts and river valleys.

• Because travel was so difficult inland, Greeks turned to the seas on all sides.

• They became skilled shipbuilders and sailors.

Geography helped shape early Geography helped shape early Greek civilizations.Greek civilizations.

• The sea became a source of food as well as a way of trading with other communities.

• They also exchanged ideas with other cultures.

Rhodes Rhodes is located is located east of Crete and east of Crete and west of Turkeywest of Turkey

Rhodes Rhodes provides a perfect provides a perfect rest stoprest stop for ships sailing for ships sailing

between Greece and between Greece and Western AsiaWestern Asia

Crete Crete is the largest is the largest of about 400 islands of about 400 islands

that are part of that are part of GreeceGreece

This is a fresco from This is a fresco from the the Minoan Minoan

civilizationcivilization on on Crete.Crete.

Minoan CivilizationMinoan Civilization• Crete Crete in 2800 BCin 2800 BC• Bronze civilization/weapons made of bronzeBronze civilization/weapons made of bronze• Rich Rich tradingtrading culture culture • Knossos:Knossos: center of far-ranging sea empire center of far-ranging sea empire• Ships sailed to Egypt and islands of southern Ships sailed to Egypt and islands of southern

GreeceGreece• PalacePalace of Knossos was elaborate: enormous private of Knossos was elaborate: enormous private

living rooms for family, workshops, and large living rooms for family, workshops, and large bathroomsbathrooms

• Named after Named after King MinosKing Minos, the King of Crete, the King of Crete

Minoan CivilizationMinoan Civilization

Civilization on Crete suffered a major Civilization on Crete suffered a major catastrophecatastrophe around 1450 BC. around 1450 BC.

heories:heories:

1. 1. Tidal wave Tidal wave caused by a volcanocaused by a volcano

2. 2. InvasionInvasion by Myceneans by Myceneans

3. 3. Volcanic ashVolcanic ash

Crete: Minoan Civilization(Palace at Knossos)

Crete: Minoan Civilization(Palace at Knossos)

Aerial View of KnossosAerial View of Knossos

Palace of King Minos Palace of King Minos

Palace of King Minos - InteriorsPalace of King Minos - Interiors

Minoan Fresco Minoan Fresco Prince of KnossosPrince of Knossos

http://www.graeco-roman.com/items/G4310.htm

Palace of King Minos

Throne Room

Palace of King Minos

Throne Room

Minoan Palace of KnossosMinoan Palace of Knossos

Minoans created and traded Minoans created and traded pottery, leather, bronze pottery, leather, bronze armor, and metal jewelry.armor, and metal jewelry. They also enjoyed They also enjoyed sports sports

such as such as boxing and bull leaping.boxing and bull leaping.

http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~tjmoore/Myth3web/05atheseusmincan.jpg

Minoan Artistic “Motifs”Minoan Artistic “Motifs”

Minoan Mural Shows Bull Leaping

Minoan Culture - ReligionMinoan Culture - Religion

Minoan PriestMinoan Priest

MinoanTrade

MinoanTrade

““Bireme” Bireme” shipship

Coast of Coast of CreteCrete

Bull CultBull Cult

Trading cultures Trading cultures developed in the developed in the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations.Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations.

MinoansMinoans

• Trading in the MediterraneanTrading in the Mediterranean

• Wood, olive oil, and pottery Wood, olive oil, and pottery all around the all around the eastern eastern MediterraneanMediterranean

• Victims of a huge Victims of a huge volcanovolcano that that erupted north of Creteerupted north of Crete

• NotNot considered to be considered to be Greek, Greek, since they didn’t speak Greeksince they didn’t speak Greek

Mycenaeans Mycenaeans

• Considered Considered Greek.Greek.• Lived inland and built Lived inland and built

fortresses. fortresses. • ViolentViolent in their trade. in their trade.• Took over Crete and became Took over Crete and became

the the major traders major traders in the eastern in the eastern Mediterranean. Mediterranean.

• Developed Developed colonies in northern colonies in northern Greece and ItalyGreece and Italy

• Shipped goods Shipped goods around the around the Mediterranean and the Black Mediterranean and the Black Sea.Sea.

The Mycenaean WorldThe Mycenaean World

The Mycenaean CivilizationThe Mycenaean Civilization

Mycenaeans: 2000 - 900 BCMycenaeans: 2000 - 900 BC• Lower Greece (lowlands)Lower Greece (lowlands)

• FortressFortress-palaces on hilltops-palaces on hilltops

• Farming, herding, olive growing.Farming, herding, olive growing.

• Traded: Traded: gold & bronzegold & bronze

• Learned from Minoans: Learned from Minoans: Shipbuilding, navigation, gold & Shipbuilding, navigation, gold & bronze work, fashions, art, bronze work, fashions, art, writing.writing.

• Better warriors than traders Better warriors than traders ((pirates)pirates)

• Most powerful people in Aegean Most powerful people in Aegean world by 1400 BCEworld by 1400 BCE

• Trojan War Trojan War (1200s BCE)(1200s BCE)

• Conquered by Dorians (late Conquered by Dorians (late 1200’s)1200’s)

View of MycenaeView of Mycenaearchaeological“tarchaeological“t

ell”ell”

Aerial View of MycenaeAerial View of Mycenae

Mycenae Citadel & ReconstructionMycenae Citadel & Reconstruction

Approach to the Lion’s GateApproach to the Lion’s Gate

Lion’s Gate Entrance to MycenaeLion’s Gate Entrance to Mycenae

The Mask of AgamemnonThe Mask of Agamemnon

Mycenaean Writing System: “Linear B”Mycenaean Writing System: “Linear B”

The “Dark Age:” 1100 -800 BCThe “Dark Age:” 1100 -800 BC• Civil wars Civil wars broke out broke out

following Trojan following Trojan WarWar

• Dorians Dorians conquered conquered MycenaeansMycenaeans

• Aegean world began Aegean world began era of “era of “wandering wandering and killing”and killing”

• Independent Independent communities communities developeddeveloped

Layered view of nine major settlements of Troy by Christopher Haussner based on archaelogical

excavation.

Greek Dark AgesGreek Dark Ages

• From From 1100 to 750 b.c1100 to 750 b.c., few records exist., few records exist

• Population Population and and food production fellfood production fell

• Iron Iron replaced bronze, improving weaponry and replaced bronze, improving weaponry and farmingfarming

• Greeks adopted Greeks adopted Phoenician alphabet Phoenician alphabet which made which made reading and writing simplerreading and writing simpler

• Homer wrote the Homer wrote the Illiad and OdysseyIlliad and Odyssey

The Greeks created city-states for The Greeks created city-states for protection and securityprotection and security

•During the Dark Ages,Greeks started During the Dark Ages,Greeks started joining together in joining together in small groups for small groups for protection.protection.

•Set up independent Set up independent city-states. city-states. The Greek The Greek word for city-state is word for city-state is polispolis..

•Creation of city-states marks the beginning Creation of city-states marks the beginning of Greece’s of Greece’s classicalclassical age age, an age marked by , an age marked by great achievementsgreat achievements..

Life in a City-StateLife in a City-State•Usually built around a strong fortress on top of a Usually built around a strong fortress on top of a high hill called an high hill called an acropolisacropolis..

•The town was surrounded by walls for The town was surrounded by walls for protection. protection. People no longer had to fear raiders.People no longer had to fear raiders.

•Life in the city focused on the marketplace, or Life in the city focused on the marketplace, or agoraagora..

•City-state became the foundation for Greek City-state became the foundation for Greek civilization and gave Greeks an identity. civilization and gave Greeks an identity.

City-States and ColonizationCity-States and Colonization

• Life in Greece became more settled, and Life in Greece became more settled, and people agreed that the Greeks should people agreed that the Greeks should establish establish colonies.colonies.

• Before long, groups from city-states around Before long, groups from city-states around Greece began setting up Greece began setting up colonies in distant colonies in distant lands. lands.

• Greek colonies spread all around the Greek colonies spread all around the Mediterranean and the Black Seas.Mediterranean and the Black Seas.

Patterns of TradePatterns of Trade

•Although the Although the coloniescolonies were independent, were independent, they often they often tradedtraded with city-states on the with city-states on the mainland.mainland. •Trade made the city-states much Trade made the city-states much richer.richer.

•Soon the Greeks had become the Soon the Greeks had become the greatest greatest traders in the whole Aegean region.traders in the whole Aegean region.

The Rise of the Greek PolisThe Rise of the Greek Polis

AthensAthens

NaxosNaxos CorinthCorinth

SyracuseSyracuse

LarissaLarissa

EboeaEboea