WELCOME TO GREECE: LAND OF THE GODS
I could have posted this earlier, but due to getting organized for exams, I couldn’t have enough time to post this. So if this post is late, I apologize. By the way for the people in my grade and at my school, all the information on this website would be good for exams. So for you guys all the information would be considered critical for studying.
Key
Pink- This is good information. Should be copied exactly or used in your own words.
Any other color- This doesn’t need to be written down, but it is still good to know for tests/quizzes.
Geography
Greece has 3 main parts- the mainland (part of southern Europe), the peninsula (named Peloponnesus), and the islands which number more than 2,000. The largest island, Crete, lies on the Mediterranean Sea, south of the mainland. Most of the islands owned by Greece were not very suitable homes for its people.
Greece’s settlement was influenced by its geography, just as it was for other ancient cultures. High mountains divided Greek communities from each other, so Greek people communicated better with outsiders than other Greek citizens. Most of Greece is covered in mountains, Mount Olympus being the highest (9,500 feet above sea level), while the rest of Greece was made up of lower lands along the coastline. Greece had 3 seas around it: Aegean to the east, Mediterranean to the south, and the Ionian to the west.
Carved out of the land where it meets the sea are many deep inlets and protected bays. It is understandable why shipbuilding, fishing, and seafaring were important in ancient Greece.In early times, coastal villages were separated by the high mountains.The soil was poor, and level land was scarce, but farmers grew olives, grapes, and fruit and nut trees along the coast. Cattle could not graze on the steep hillsides of Greece, so the Greeks raised sheep and goats.
Over time, as the population of ancient Greece increased, it became harder to produce enough food for everyone. So the Greeks took to the seas, traveling to Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), France, Italy, Spain, and Africa to set up trading colonies. The map opposite shows Greek colonies and trading routes about 550 B.C.E.
This remarkable culture flourished between 750 and 338 B.C.E. Ancient Greek art, ideas, and writings continue to influence many aspects of the modern world today.
Greece is a small country in southern Europe. It is shaped somewhat like an outstretched hand, with fingers of land that reach into the Mediterranean Sea. The mainland of Greece is a peninsula. A peninsula is land that is surrounded on three sides by water. Greece also includes many islands throughout the Mediterranean and the Aegean (ih-JEE-uhn) seas.
Mainland Greece is a land of steep, rugged mountains, almost entirely surrounded by turquoise blue seas. The ancient Greeks lived on farms or in small villages scattered throughout the country. These farms and villages were isolated, or separated, from each other by the mountains and seas.
In this chapter, you will explore how Greece’s geography influenced settlement and way of life in ancient Greece. You will learn why people lived and farmed in isolated communities. You will also discover how the Greeks used the sea to establish colonies and trade relations with people from other lands.
The mountains contributed great protection to Greece, though they were generally a very isolated group of people. Their settlements had very difficult communication with each other due to the mountains. People mostly walked or they rode carts pulled by mules. Roads weren’t paved, and sharp rocks frequently broke their wooden wheels if someone was pulling a cart. Only the wealthy could afford horses.
Travelers could stop at inns on the main roads, but many inns provided only shelter. People had to bring their own food and other supplies with them. Slaves or pack animals carried bedding, food, and other necessities. With all these goods to take with them, the Greeks often traveled in groups, moving at a slower pace than someone traveling alone.
Speaking of traveling, the Greeks soon developed traveling by ship.
The Greeks understood the dangers of the sea and treated it with great respect. Sudden storms could drive ships off course or send them smashing into the rocky shoreline. Even in open waters, ships could sink. These hazards encouraged Greek sailors to navigate close to shore, sail only during daylight, and stop at night to anchor.
I decided to divide Greece up into sections because there is a lot of information. Here is a quick tip: since there is a lot of information, this information would be very good for exams. It would be a smart decision to write this material down and make study guides from it. If you happen to have any questions or want me to write more down, just leave a comment and I will try to do it as soon as I can.
History Plus 