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The Geography and Early People of Ancient Greece. The Geography and Early People of Ancient Greece. The Geography of Greece. Greece is very mountainous Separated the different city-states from one another Had many peninsulas 2 main ones Peloponnesus Balkan Had many different waterways
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The Geography and Early People of Ancient Greece The Geography and Early People of Ancient Greece
The Geography of Greece • Greece is very mountainous • Separated the different city-states 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 • Strait- thin area of water connecting two other waterways Asia Minor/ Anatolia Mediterranean Sea
Greek Geography Information 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 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, government, and citizenship • Government styles of the time include: • Monarchy, Tyranny, Democracy, Oligarchy
Early People of Greece • Minoans on island of Crete • Bull jumping ceremonies and pottery • 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
Early People of Greece • 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 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 Religion and Mythology Greek Religion and 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.
Greek Religion and Mythology • 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 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
View from BOTTOM of Acropolis Acropolis
View from TOP of Acropolis Amphitheater for Acropolis Area
Early City-states • 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 All Blue area and Agora makes up POLIS Surrounding Land (COUNTRYSIDE)
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)