Chapter 4
The Early Greeks
Geography of Greece
How did
geography affect
the Greek way of
life?
The geography of Greece influenced where
people settled and what they did.
-Jobs: fishers, sailors, and traders
-Farming: grew wheat, barley, olives,
grapes; raised sheep and goats.
-Transportation
-Relationships
How did
geography
discourage Greek
unity?
The mountains and seas kept them apart
and encouraged independence.
Bull Jumping
The Minoans
Who were the Minoans?
Arthur Evans discovered the ruins of a palace that had
been the center of Minoan civilization.
They were not Greeks, but were the first to live in the
region later known as Greece.
Artifacts at the palace at Knossos reveal the riches of the
Minoan people, such as wine, oil, jewelry, and statues.
The Minoans became a great sea trader.
Collapsed in 1450 B.C. , but historians argue over the real
reason of their destruction.
First Greek Kingdoms
Who were the
Mycenaean's?
Some historians believed they conquered the Minoan
civilization.
Became the first Greek kings and lived in fortified
palaces, surrounded by the nobles’ estates.
Government officials kept track of people’s wealth
and collected wheat, livestock, and honey as taxes
and stored them in the palace.
How did the Minoans
influence the people of
Mycenae?
Minoans visited and the Mycenaean’s copied many of
their ways, such as worshiping the same god, using
the sun and stars to find their way at sea, working
with bronze, and building ships.
What was their greatest
victory?
King Agamemnon led the Mycenaean's to victory in
the Trojan War.
What was the Dark Age?
What changes occurred during the Dark
Age?
Earthquakes and fighting destroyed
hilltop forts.
Farmers only grew enough food for their
families. People stopped teaching others
how to write and do crafts.
Huge population shift occurred during
this time, which helped spread the Greek
culture.
Dorians invaded Greece on the
Peloponnesus peninsula and brought
iron weapons with them.
Farming and trade eventually increased,
and the development of the alphabet
helped spread ideas.
A Move to Colonize
How did new colonies affect industry?
Farmers could no longer grow enough
grain to feed everyone, so people were
sent out to develop colonies .
Greek cultures spread as colonies were
set up along the coasts of Italy, France,
Spain, North Africa, and western Asia.
The Greeks began to mint coins, so they
were able to trade for money rather than
other goods.
People began to specialize in certain
products from their area as the demand
grew, which led to the growth of
industry.
The Polis
What were Greek city states called and
how were they organized?
Each Greek city-state was known as a
polis.
There was an acropolis, which was a
fortified area that provided safety during
attacks, that was built on top of a hill in
the center of the polis.
An open area called an agora was used
for both a market and a debate area.
City-states could be small or large. One of
the largest was Athens, which had over
300,000 people in 500 B.C.
Greek citizenship
What was Greek citizenship?
Citizens are people who are part of a political
community who treat each others as equals and
who have rights and responsibilities.
Greek citizenship was a new idea, as most people
in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt had no say in
government matters.
-Only native born men could be citizens
-Women and slaves were citizens but had no rights
What were the rights of Greek
citizens?
1) They could gather in the agora to choose
officials and pass laws.
2) Vote
3) Hold office
4) Own property
5) Defend themselves in court
Citizens as Soldiers
How did citizenship make the Greeks
different from other ancient people?
Citizenship changed the way battles were
fought. Instead of nobles fighting on
horseback, ordinary citizens called
hoplites fought.
Hoplites couldn’t afford horses, so they
went into battle on foot and heavily
armed.
-Row upon row, shoulder to shoulder
Hoplites were very loyal to their citystate but very distrustful of other poleis.
WIO
2nd, 3rd period– Review Sections 1 and 2 of the Fourteenth
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Answer these
questions:
1) How does Section 1 define citizenship?
2) What rights are guaranteed to citizens?
HOMEWORK: Compare the rights associated in ancient
Greece with those in the U.S. and decide which are more
inclusive. Post your thoughts on the message board. You
must have at least five to seven sentences.
1st, 4th, 6th - Review the way the hoplites fought and picture
that in your mind. Do you think this is an effective way to
go into battle? Why or why not?
14th Amendment
• Section 1.All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to
the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state
wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor
shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due
process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.
• Section 2.Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states
according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of
persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to
vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice
President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the executive
and judicial officers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is
denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years
of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for
participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein
shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens
shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in
such state.
• http://topics.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv