Geography of Ancient Greece

This is a physical map of Greece. What do you notice?

What is the absolute location?

Geography shapes settlement of people

Couldn't settle in mountains

No farming

Had to settle in coastal plains and river valleys

Isolated communities

Effect: different govt. and ways of life

Peninsulas and Islands

Peninsula: an area of land surrounded by water on 3 sides

Greece is one big peninsula with many smaller peninsulas coming off of it.

How will the geography affect the people living there?

Benefits of the Sea

Since they couldn't travel over the mountains, Greeks used the sea to travel

3 main seas: Mediterranean, Ionian, Agean

Became great ship builders and sailors

Used the sea for food and trade

What is the benefit of being able to trade with different groups of people?

First People of Greece

Many cultures settled here

2 earliest: Minoans and Mycenaeans

Minoans: built advanced society by 200 BC on the Island of Crete

Mycenaeans: built towns on Greek mainland

Both influenced entire Agean Region and shaped culture in Greece

MinoansOne of best ship builders of their time

Carried goods to eastern Mediterranean

Traded wood, olive oil, and pottery for things like copper, gold, silver, and jewels

Volcanoes nearby that can cause damage and affect life and may have led to the end of their civilization

MycenaeansFirst to be considered Greek because they spoke the Greek language

Lived on mainland and built many strong fortresses

Mid 1400s, Minoan society declined and Mycenaeans took over Crete

Became major traders

Set up colonies in northern Greece and Italy and shipped goods to markets

Trade not always peaceful

Would often attack other kingdoms and sometimes started war

1200s, society began to fall apart because of invaders from Europe

Earthquakes destroyed many cities

Period of warfare and disorder called Dark Ages