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Explore the rich history and contributions of Ancient Greece, from its diverse landscape and climate to its impact on Western civilization. Learn about Greek city-states, agriculture, volcanic activity, and cultural achievements like philosophy, theater, and architecture. Discover the enduring legacy of Greek language, sports, and religious practices. Uncover the roots of democracy, scientific thought, and Olympic traditions in this captivating journey through Ancient Greece.
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Ancient Greece Adapted by Mr. Dawson Fall 2016
Where is Greece? • Sunny Greece is 4,900 miles from Baltimore. • It’s capital city is Athens • It is famous for its beautiful beaches and sea!
Ancient Greece • In Ancient Greece, the different cities were at war with each other. • The most fearsome fighters came from the town of Sparta.
The Climate • The climate is Mediterranean. • The Mediterranean Sea affects the Greek climate, cooling the air in summer and providing warmth in winter. • The warm summers are cooled by seasonal breezes from the Mediterranean.
The Climate (Greece vs. Maryland’s) • The average temperature in Greece can range from a low of 44° to a high of 89°. • The average temperature in Maryland ranges from a low of 23° to a high of 87° • The average rainfall is 15 inches per year in Greece. • In Maryland it is over 42 inches.
Ancient greece - terrain • Greece has a very scenic landscape. • The terrain of Greece is varied. • There are mountains, valleys and coasts. • The high mountains are separated by deep valleys through which rivers flow.
Ancient greece - terrain • No part of Greece is more than about forty miles from the coast (a couple of days journey on foot). • There are lots of islands surrounding Greece. • The Greek mainland is a Peninsula of Peninsulas!
Soil and Plants • Vegetation is dependent on geographical regions. • Due to the variety of land, there a some 6,000 indigenous species in Greece. • In Ancient Greece, farmers grew olives, figs, grain, fruit and grapes in the fertile valleys.
Soil and plants • However, other parts of Ancient Greece had drier soil and less vegetation, particularly around the cities. • Although surrounded by sea water, they found it difficult to find fresh water away from the valleys. • The high mountains also prevented large-scale farming, so the Greeks were forced to look beyond their own country for fertile land.
volcanic • Another important aspect of the Greek environment is that it is very unstable. • Greece is in the middle of a very volcanic zone, between the European and African tectonic plates. • There are several active volcanoes and earthquakes are common.
What does a civilization need to establish itself and then to flourish? • Why did the Greeks decide to build their city-states where they did? • A reliable fresh-water source • A climate that is suitable for growing crops • A structure for ruling itself from within (government) • A system for protecting itself from without (military) • City-states in Ancient Greece were established: • Near rivers (ex. ILISSOS River in Athens) • Farmed the hillsides outside the city-state • With governments (ex. Democracy in Athens, Oligarchy in Sparta) • Each city-state had its on army. Also, the city-states were established near mountains for added protection.
What have the Greeks contributed to the world? • Ancient Greece is often referred to as, “the cradle of Western civilization” • What is a cradle? • What is the purpose of a cradle?
Why the cradle? • Countless contributions were made by the ancient Greeks that western civilization benefits from today. These include: • philosophies (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hippocrates) • ideas about the scientific world (Astronomy and Botany) • political systems (democracy) • the English alphabet • The theater (comedy and tragedy) • Architecture (using stone to build with, the idea of using columns) • Sports; Marathon and the Olympic games
Philosophy • Aristotle • Socrates • Plato • Hippocrates • Pythagoras
The Greek Language • Greek is part of the Indo-European language family. • Greek is one of the oldest written languages spanning 34 centuries of use. • There are 24 letters in the language.
Theater: Comedy and Tragedy • The ancient Greeks built amphitheaters in their cities. • They are credited with developing the Comedy and Tragedy that we know today. • In general the comedy has the hero live at the end and tragedy has the hero die at the end.
Building with stone • Architecture – the Greeks used stone extensively in their building projects. Over time they experimented with and then perfected the use of the column. (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian) Buildings like the Parthenon are excellent examples of Greek architecture.
Athletics • Olympics - The first Olympic games were held in 776 BC. • Marathon - Most large cities in the world host a running event known as a marathon. Each marathon takes runners on a 26.2 mile journey. Why that distance? In 490 BC a soldier named Pheidippides ran from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens. Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died.
Religion Christian, Greek Orthodox - Due to a difference in the theological interpretation of the Bible “The Great Schism” occurred. A Schism is a split into sections in the church. The great schism occurred in 1054 AD and divided the Christian church into Eastern (Eastern Orthodox) and Western (Roman Catholic).
