Ancient Greece: An Introduction

Warm Up!!!1. What advantages/disadvantages do

mountains provide areas?

2. What is a city-state?

3. Why do civilizations/countries need governments?

4. What is the best form of government? Explain.

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• Most tropical marine fish could survive in a tank full of human blood.

• All species of beetles are edible.

• Venezuala is one of the happiest and most murderous places in the world.

Geographical Impact

• Greece includes the mountainous peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea and the approximately 1,400 islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas.

• The uneven terrain caused numerous issues:– Made land transportation and communication

difficult– Only 20% of the land was farmable– It was not suitable for irrigation– Not able to support large populations– Desire for more living space motivated them to

seek colonies.• Greece lacked natural resources (timber, precious

metals, and arable farmland) - needed to trade with other areas.

• The development of Greek civilization was shaped by the nearby seas - Mediterranean, Black, Aegean, and Ionian.– Became great sailors.– Within sailing distance of Egypt and

Mesopotamia.– This trading led to the cultural, technological,

natural resource, craft exchanges.– Led to a shift away from the barter system

(trading one good for another) to a monetary system.

• Mountains covered ¾ of the land, which made it difficult to unite politically.– Established small, local, independent

communities with little interest in cooperating with each other.

– Created natural defenses.

Early Civilizations• Minoans:

– Emerged on the island of Crete around 2000 BCE.

– First civilization in this area.– Brought ideas from Egypt and Mesopotamia.– Depended on trade.– Destroyed around 1450 BCE.

• Mycenaeans:– Early Greeks

on the mainland.

– Conquered by Northern invaders - Dorians, which started the Greek Dark Ages (1450-750 BCE).

Rise of the City-States• By 750 BCE, Greece was

dominated by city-states (polis) that included the major city and the surrounding countryside (numerous villages).– Had approximately

20,000 people.

– Citizens could take part in government.• Included free, landowning males• Gathered at the fortified hilltop (acropolis) to

conduct business.• Women had very few rights and slaves had no

political rights.

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• Worcestershire Sauce is basically Anchovy ketchup.

• In the United States, deaf people have safer driving records than hearing people!

• As a result of overpopulation and the need for more arable land, many city-states turned to colonization.

• City-states unified by language, culture, and religion, but not politically.

• Different forms of government emerged throughout Greece in the different city-states:– Monarchy– Aristocracy– Oligarchy– Direct Democracy

Rise of the City-States (cont.)Monarchy:

• State ruled by a king.• Rule was hereditary

through the king’s family.• Some rulers claimed

divine right - their power to rule comes from the gods.

• Example - Mycenae

Aristocracy:• State ruled by the

nobility.• Rule is hereditary and

based on landownership.• Social status and wealth

support rulers’ authority.• Example - Athens (594

BCE)

Rise of the City-States (cont.)Oligarchy:

• State ruled by a small group of citizens.

• Rule based on wealth.• Ruling group controls the

military.• Example - Sparta

Direct Democracy:• State ruled by the

citizens.• Rule based on citizenship

(free, landowning male).• Majority rule makes

decisions.• Example - Athens (461

BCE)

Greek Religion• Greek religion is known

as mythology, based on exciting stories that offered explanations of natural phenomena, human qualities, and life events rather than moral guidance and an afterlife.

• Mythology was expressed in epic poems - the Iliad and Odyssey

• Polytheistic (belief in many gods) - gods walked the earth with men who were concerned most with keeping the various gods happy.

Important Greek Gods

Hera: Wife of Zeus, protector of

marriage

Zeus: Leader of the gods

Important Greek Gods (cont.)

Athena: Goddess of wisdom and

poetry

Apollo: God of sun and poetry

Important Greek Gods (cont.)

Aphrodite: Goddess of love

Poseidon: God of the seas

The Role of Gods• Gods were the center of

Greek life with each city dedicating itself to one god or goddess (Athens = Athena).– It was important to

keep the gods happy.– Built temples and had

festivals to honor them.• Starting in 776

BCE, Greeks got together every four years in Olympia for a sports festival to honor Zeus.

Peloponnesus Peninsula

Dardanelles

Sparta

Troy

Greek Hotspots

Greek Hotspots (cont.)