Title: Geography and the Early Greeks
1Geography andthe Early Greeks
- EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
2Mountain and Settlements
- Mountains cover much of Greece, few flat areas
for farmland - People settled in flat areas along the coast and
in river valleys in villages and towns separated
by mountains and seas.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
3Mountains and Settlements
- Travel across the mountains and seas was
difficult, so communities were isolated from one
another. - people created their own governments and ways of
life - Even though they spoke the same language, Greek
communities saw themselves as separate countries
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
4Seas and Shipbuilding
- Since travel inland difficult, the early Greeks
turned to the seas. - South was the Mediterranean Sea,
- West was the Ionian (eye-OH-nee-uhn) Sea
- East was the Aegean (ee-JEE-uhn) Sea.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
5Seas and Shipbuilding
- Early Greeks used the sea as a source for food
and as a way of trading with other communities - The Greeks became skilled shipbuilders and
sailors. - Ships sailed to Asia Minor, to Egypt, and to the
islands of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. - - Found sources of food and other products
they needed. - - Exchanged ideas with other cultures.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
6Earliest Cultures in Greece
- Minoans (muh-NOH-uhnz)
- Mycenaens (my-suh-NEE-uhns)
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
7The Minoans
- By 2000 BC the Minoans had built an advanced
society on the island of Crete - best shipbuilders of their time
- Carried goods such as wood, olive oil, and
pottery all around the eastern Mediterranean - They traded for copper, gold, silver, and jewels
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
8End of Minoan Civilization
- Sometime in the 1600s BC a huge volcano erupted
just north of Crete. - Eruption created a tsunami which flooded much of
Crete - Eruption threw up huge clouds of ash, ruining
crops and burying cities.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
9The Mycenaeans
- The first people to speak Greek, and therefore
the first to be considered Greek, were the
Mycenaeans.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
10The Mycenaeans
- the Mycenaeans built fortresses all over the
Greek mainland - The largest and most powerful fortresswas Mycenae
(my-SEE-nee)
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
11The Mycenaeans
- By the mid-1400s, Minoan society declined
allowing the Mycenaean to take over Crete - Became the major traders in the eastern
Mediterranean. - set up colonies in northern Greece and Italy from
which they shipped goods to markets around the
Mediterranean and Black seas.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
12The Mycenaeans
- Didnt trade peacefully
- Often attacked other kingdoms.
- Some historians think the Mycenaeans attacked the
city of Troy, starting the legendary Trojan War,
which is featured in many works of literature.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
13The Mycenaeans
- 1200s BC Mycenaean society began to fall apart
when invaders from Europe swept into Greece. - At the same time, earthquakes destroyed many
cities. - As Mycenaean civilization crumbled, Greece slid
into a period of warfare and disorder, a period
called the Dark Age.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
14Greeks Create City-States
- About 300 years after the Mycenaean civilization
crumbled, the Greeks joined together in small
groups for protection and stability. - Over time, these groups set up independent
city-states. Polis - the Greek word for a
city-state - The creation of city-states marks the beginning
of what is known as Greeces classical age. - A classical age is one that is marked by great
achievements.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
15Greek Cities
- built around a strong fortress.
- acropolis - fortress on top of a high hill
- The town around the acropolis was surrounded by
walls for added protection.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
16City - States
- Not everyone who lived in the city-state
- actually lived inside the city walls.
- Farmers lived near their fields outside the
walls. In times of war, however, women, children,
and elderly people all gathered inside the city
walls for protection. - the men of the polis formed an army to fight off
its enemies.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
17City - State
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
- Life in the city often focused on the
marketplace, or agora - Farmers brought their crops to the market to
trade for goods made by craftsmen in the town.
18City State
- Foundation of Greek civilization
- Provides security for its people, and gave them
- an identity.
- People thought of themselves as residents of a
city, not as Greeks.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
19City-States and Colonization
- Reason for Greek colonies
- Some Greeks dreamed of becoming rich through
trade - Others became curious about neighboring lands
around the Mediterranean Sea. - Some also worried about how to deal with Greeces
growing population.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
20Greek Colonies
- Greek colonies became independent, became a new
polis. - Eventually Greek colonies spread all around the
Mediterranean and Black Seas. - Many big cities around the Mediterranean today
began as Greek colonies. - Istanbul, Turkey
- Marseille, France
- Naples, Italy
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
21Patterns of Trade
- Although the colonies were independent,
- traded with city-states on the mainland.
- The colonies sent metals such as copper and iron
back to mainland Greece. - In return, the Greek city-states sent wine,
- olive oil, and other products.
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
22Patterns of Trade
EQ How did the geography of Greece help shape
early Greek civilization?
- Trade made the city-states richer
- By 550 BC the Greeks had become the greatest
traders in the whole Aegean region.