The Geography and Early People of Ancient GreeceThe Geography and Early People of Ancient Greece

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

The Geography of Greece• Dardanelles

– Strait that connects Aegean Sea to the Black Sea

– Strait- thin area of water connecting two other waterways

Europe

Macedonia

Asia Minor/ Anatolia

Mediterranean Sea

Black Sea

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

Greek Geography Information

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, gov’t and citizenship

– Government styles of the time include;• Monarchy, Tyranny, Democracy, Oligarchy

Effect of Geography on Greece

Early People of Greece• 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• Dorians move into area after

Mycenaeans– Far less advanced than earlier groups– Following the Dorians, Greek broke into

city-states

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

Homer and the Illiad & Odyssey

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.

• Symbols and representations of gods spread to Rome and can still be seen today in everyday life– Literature, art, monuments, politics and

architecture

Greek Religion and Mythology

Early Cities of GreeceEarly 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

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

Early City-

states

• Examples of agoras– Athens

agora (L)– Destroyed

agora (R)

Modern Example of a PolisCITY CENTER

(AGORA)

Surrounding Land(COUNTRYSIDE)

All Blue area and Agora makes up POLIS

Could be acropolis AND agora, doesn’t

have to though

Processing- Find the Polis• Locate the 2 areas that would be

considered a polis. How can you tell?

The Famous Athenian Acropolis• A fortified hilltop for protection

– Walls are actually the mountain its located on (marble)

Ancient Greek Society

• Early Greek society was broken into two groups– Free people

• Adult males; usually wealthy and landowners• Considered to be citizens w/ rights and responsibility for

civic participation in the city-state

– Slaves• Not based on race/color• Had no political rights and were the property of the

wealthy

• Women and foreigners have no political rights• Women rarely seen in Greek public life

Daily Life in Greece• Daily life very different for men, women &

slaves• For Men – life based around the agora

– Expected to participate in conversation of the city– Expected to serve in military and be educated

• For women – life based in the home– Not expected to be educated– Expected to stay in the home and tend to children

• For Slaves – life based on doing daily chores – Expected to run the errands of the home– Expected to protect the family while men are away

Forms of Government• Many different ways to govern a city-state

– Monarchy – ruling by a king or queen (usually king)• 1st way most Greek city states were ruled

– Aristocracy – rule by small group of wealthy land owners• Usually gained power and land from a former king

– Oligarchy – rule by a few powerful people• Usually military leaders or a person with a strong

army

– Tyranny – rule by one very powerful person• Usually came to power by appealing to the poor and

starting a revolution against the rich