The Early Greeks
Section 1: pgs. 116-123
The Geography of Greece
• Mainland Greece is a peninsula surrounded
by the Ionian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and
the Aegean Sea.
• Ancient Greeks made a living from the sea.
• Many became sailors, fishers, and traders.
• Others settled in farming communities and
grew wheat, barley, olives, and grapes.
Respond in complete sentences:
Textbook page 117
1. Describe the geography of ancient Greece.
2. Why is mainland Greece considered a
peninsula?
3. How did the ancient Greeks adapt to their
environment?
4. How did geography discourage Greek
unity?
I. Describe the Geography of Greece?
(p. 117)
A. Mainland peninsula surrounded by 3 seas: Ionian Sea
Mediterranean Sea
Aegean Sea
B. 400 islands the largest being Crete and Rhodes
C. Terrain—mountainous and rocky
D. Climate- mild
E. Crops– grew wheat, barley, olives, & grapes
Herded- sheep & goats
F. Occupations besides farming—fishers, sailors, & traders
G. Greek communities grew up independent because
the mountains and seas divided them from one another.
The Minoans
• The Minoans earned their living by building ships
and trading.
• The Minoans were not Greeks, but their
civilization was the first to arise in the region that
later became Greece (on the island of Crete).
• In 1900, Arthur Evans discovered the ruins of the
grand palace at Knossos.
• This palace revealed the riches of the ancient
society and had been the center of the Minoan
civilization.
The Palace at Knossos
The Minoans
(p. 118)
A. The Minoans lived on the island of Crete, on which was
discovered a palace at Knossos that revealed the wealth of
the society. The palace was discovered by archaeologist
Arthur Evans.
B. Minoans got rich by building ships made of oak and cedar
trees and then trading their goods. They controlled the
eastern Mediterranean Sea and kept the sea free of pirates.
C. Why did the Minoan civilization collapse?
1. Undersea earthquakes causing giant waves
2. Cities were destroyed by a group of Greeks
from mainland (invaders were called Mycenaean).
The First Greek Kingdoms
• Mycenaeans built the first Greek kingdoms and
spread their power across the Mediterranean
region.
Read textbook page 119 and answer the following
questions:
1. Where were the Mycenaeans originally from and
how did the people of this civilization get their
name?
2. Describe the Mycenaean kingdoms.
3. How did the Minoans influence the Mycenaeans?
Provide specific examples.
The Trojan War
• Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends
belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods,
heroes, and the nature of the world.
• In the Illiad, a prince of Troy kidnaps the wife of the
king of Sparta, Helen. The kidnapping outrages the
Greeks. The king of Mycenae, Agamemnon, and
brother of the king of Sparta lead the Greeks in an
attack on Troy. The war is among the most important
events in Greek mythology, and was narrated in many
works of Greek literature, including the Iliad and the
Odyssey by Homer.
• The battle for Troy drags on for ten years until…
The Greeks built a huge, hollow,
wooden horse.
Greeks believed the Iliad and
Odyssey were more than
stories…they looked on the epics
as real history.
What was the Dark Age?
Read textbook page 120
1. Explain how the Mycenaean civilization
collapsed.
2. How did Greek culture spread?
3. What changes occurred during Greece’s
Dark Age?.
Colonies-Groups of people who
lived apart from, but kept ties with,
Greece
Polis- A city-state in ancient Greece.
Sparta: Military & Strength
•
•
•
•
City-state or polis
• Boys trained at 7 to be
soldiers
Acropolis
• Girls were trained to
Agora
produce strong
Located on a peninsula
children
of Peloponnesus
• Helots-slaves (7:1) 7
slaves to every one
person
Athens: Education & Government
•
•
•
•
City-state or polis
Acropolis
Agora
Located on a peninsula
of Attica
• Girls stayed at home
with their mothers,
weaved clothing,
worked on the farms
• Boys went to school
and then wrestled in
sports
• Boys worked on farms
and pottery shops
• Democracy-rule by the
people
• All citizens should
have a voice
Acropolis- a large hill where city
residents could seek shelter in times
of war.
Agora-a clearing where farmers
and craft workers would gather to
trade with each other. It served as
both a market place and a meeting
place.
Lo Siento, Muchachas!
Citizens-males who were born
in Greece and had rights and
responsibilities in their polis.
Government
Monarchy
“Rule by one”
Oligarchy
The richest,
most powerful
citizens control
decision making
“Rule by the
people”
Democracy
Word
Peninsula
Reminding Word
Reminding
Sentence
A large
peninsula called
the
Peloponnesus
lies to the
southwest of
Attica.
Reminding Picture
Definition
An area of
land almost
entirely
surrounded
by water.
Word
Reminding Word
(should be
contained in the
vocabulary word
or at least rhyme
with it)
Reminding
Sentence
(must have
reminding word
and definition in the
sentence)
Reminding Picture
Definition