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Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece. Geography. not a country, but a collection of lands and islands, many miles of coastline; inlets and bays Sea: Aegean, Ionian, and Black seas united them Poor resources on land meant increased sea travel, trade and imports Land : ¾ mountains; highest Mt. Olympus

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Ancient Greece

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  1. Ancient Greece

  2. Geography • not a country, but a collection of lands and islands, many miles of coastline; inlets and bays • Sea: Aegean, Ionian, and Black seas united them • Poor resources on land meant increased sea travel, trade and imports • Land: ¾ mountains; highest Mt. Olympus • Difficult to unite under one government; divided by mountains • Broken into different city-states, called Polis (Poleis, pl.) • Climate: moderate temps. Men led outdoor life, most activity – shopping, civic meetings, athletic activities

  3. Ancient Greece

  4. Early Greeks • Crete (2000-1400 BCE) • Minoans (after their king Minos) • Wealthy traders; built large homes, had fancy clothes, etc… • Ended by volcano, undersea earthquake, tidal waves, invasion, evidence exists for all these theories • Bronze Age (2000 BCE) • Mycenae – mainland Greek city of Mycenae built on steep ridge • Fortified their cities with stone walls • Wealthy from piracy • Trojan War: 1200 BC • Greek kings attack Troy, a trading city on the coast of Asia Minor • Greek king’s (Menelaus) wife (Helen) stolen by a Trojan youth (Paris); archaeological evidence shows some proof of this, prolonged wars

  5. The Dark Ages 1200 BC (early iron age) • Dorians • Greek speaking people from the north come in with iron weapons • Little skill, less advances • Trade at a standstill • Skill of writing is lost for about 400 years (1150-750 BC) • Homer • The blind poet • Depended on spoken words (bards) • Wrote long epic poems, ideals of heroism, Arête: heroic ideal: strive for excellence, courage, fame and honor • Interested in individuals, heroes compete for glory • The Iliad and The Odyssey around 750 BC Carving of Trojan Horse; 7th C. BCE

  6. Bonds Uniting Greeks • Language and Literature • Religion: Polytheistic • Gods Lived on Mt. Olympus, immortal • The were very “human” – fought a lot, had human weaknesses • Religion linked to government and civic pride

  7. More Bonds • Olympics • Began in 776 BC every 4 years • All athletes from Aegean area traveled to Mt. Olympus, home of the gods, to honor Zeus • Pentathlon most important event (racing, jumping, discus, javelin, wrestling) • Prize= honor and fame (arête) • Fear of Persia • to the east, Greeks felt the Persians were Barbarians

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