The
The Geography
Geography and
and Early
Early
People
People of
of Ancient
Ancient Greece
Greece
The Geography of Greece
• Greece is very
mountainous
– Separated the
different citystates from one
another
• Had many
peninsulas
– 2 main ones
• Peloponnesus
• Balkan
• Had many
different
waterways
–
–
–
–
Seas
Straits
Islands
Harbors
The Geography of Greece
Europe
Black Sea
Macedonia
• Dardanelles
– Strait that
connects
Aegean
Sea to the
Black Sea
Asia Minor/ Anatolia
– Strait- thin
area of
water
connecting
two other
waterways
Mediterranean 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
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
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
Greek
Greek Religion
Religion and
and Mythology
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
Early 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
Citystates
• Examples
of agoras
– Athens
agora (L)
– Destroyed
agora (R)
Modern Example of a Polis
CITY CENTER
(AGORA)
Could be acropolis
AND agora, doesn’t
have to though
Surrounding Land
(COUNTRYSIDE)
All Blue area and Agora
makes up POLIS
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