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Reading Notes 25: Geography of Greece

1. Where di the Ancient Greeks settle?

The Greeks settled in Southern Europe living on farms or in small villages.

2. Why was the sea important to Ancient Greece?

The sea was important to the Ancient Greeks because it allowed them to establish colonies and trade with people from other lands.

3. Why were ancient Greek communities isolated from one another?

Greek communities were isolated from one another because of high mountains which made travel difficult, so there was little communication.

4. What were some of the dangers of travel?

Some of the dangers of travel in Greece was being attacked by bandits, being attacked by pirates or robbed, or sinking in the sea.

5. List three crops Greek farmers grew and three animals they raised.

The Greeks grew wheat, barley, grapes, olives, and fruit and nut trees. Greeks raised sheep, goats, oxen, mules, donkeys, pigs, and chickens.

6. Why did Greek settlements often fight one another?

The shortage of good farmland sometimes led to wars between settlements because there was not enough land to go around.

7. Why did the Greeks start colonies?

The Greeks started colonies because as the population grew there was not enough farmland to feed all the people.

8. Describe the steps the Greeks followed when they started a new colony.

Greek colonists started the process of colonization by asking the gods for advice from an oracle, next they gathered food and supplies. Then they began their sea voyage to look for a suitable place to settle and established their colony.

9. Why did some Greek settlements trade?

Some Greek settlements traded for the goods they needed. They did this because some of them did not have enough farmland to grow everything they needed.

10. What products from the Greek mainland were traded? What products did the Greeks get in exchange?

The Greeks traded olive oil, pottery, and wine for goods like grain, timber, and metal.