• Mountains cover much of Greece, so contact with other villages was difficult.

• People created their own governments and ways of life.

• People settled in the flat areas along the coast and in river valleys.

• Because travel was so difficult inland, Greeks turned to the seas on all sides.

• They became skilled shipbuilders and sailors.

Main Idea 1: Geography helped shape early Greek

civilizations.

• The sea became a source of food as well as a way of trading with other communities.

• They also exchanged ideas with other cultures.

Main Idea 2: Trading cultures developed in the Minoan

and Mycenaean civilizations.

Minoans• They spent much of their time

at sea, trading in the Mediterranean.

• Ships carried goods such as wood, olive oil, and pottery all around the eastern Mediterranean.

• They became the victims of a huge volcano that erupted north of Crete.

• They were not considered to be Greek, since they didn’t speak Greek.

Mycenaeans • They were the first people to be

considered Greek.• They lived inland and built

fortresses. • They were more violent in their

trade.• They took over Crete and became

the major traders in the eastern Mediterranean.

• They developed colonies in northern Greece and Italy, from which they shipped goods around the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Main Idea 3: The Greeks created city-states for

protection and security.

• During the Dark Ages, the Greeks started joining together in small groups for protection.

• These groups set up independent city-states. The Greek word for city-state is polis.

• The creation of city-states marks the beginning of Greece’s classical age, an age marked by great achievements.

Life in a City-State

• A city-state was usually built around a strong fortress on top of a high hill called an acropolis.

• The town around the acropolis was surrounded by walls for protection. People no longer had to fear raiders.

• Life in the city focused on the marketplace, or agora.

• The city-state became the foundation for Greek civilization and gave the Greeks an identity.

Main Idea 1:Aristocrats and tyrants

ruled early Athens.

• Athens was the city where democracy was born, but it started out as an oligarchy, a government in which only a few people hold power.

• A group of rich landowners called aristocrats held power.

• As a result of rebels trying to overthrow the aristocrats, harsh laws were created by a man named Draco.

• A man named Solon created a set of laws allowing all free men to be citizens, people who had the right to participate in government.

• Peisistratus overthrew the oligarchy, however, and became the ruler of Athens. He was called a tyrant, a leader who held power through the use of force. Tyrants were usually good, not harsh, leaders in ancient Greece.

Main Idea 2:Athens created the world’s

first democracy.

• A leader named Cleisthenes, a member of one of the most powerful families in Athens, overthrew the aristocracy and established the world’s first democracy.

• For this reason, he is considered the father of democracy.

The End of Democracy in Athens

• Athens was conquered by the Macedonians and fell under their influence.

• The king ruled like a dictator. No one could make decisions without his approval.

• The assembly still met to make laws, but it had to be careful not to upset the king.

• Eventually, a new king took over and ended Athenian democracy altogether.

• All citizens in Athens could participate directly in the government, which was called a direct democracy.

• Each vote counted, and the majority ruled.

• The United States is too large for direct democracy to work for the whole country.

• Instead, we have a representative democracy.

Main Idea 3: Ancient democracy was different than

modern democracy.

In a representative democracy, also called a republic, citizens elect officials to represent them in the government. These officials then make the laws.

Main Idea 1:The Greeks created myths to

explain the world.

• Instead of scientific explanations, the Greeks used mythology to explain things.

• Mythology is a body of stories about gods and heroes that try to explain how the world works.

• They believed gods caused things like volcanic eruptions and the changing seasons.

• To keep the gods happy, they built great temples. The Greeks expected help when they needed it in return.

Heroes in Mythology

• Many Greek myths told about the adventures of great heroes.

• Some heroes were real, while others were not.

• Some of the major heroes were Theseus, Jason, and Hercules.

– Theseus traveled to Crete and killed the minotaur, a half-human, half-bull monster.

– Jason sailed across the seas in search of great treasure.

– Hercules was the most famous. He fought many monsters and performed nearly impossible tasks.

Main Idea 2: Ancient Greek literature provides some of the world’s greatest poems and stories.

• Among the earliest Greek writings are two epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer.

• The Iliad tells the story of the last years of the Trojan War.

• The Odyssey describes the challenges that Odysseus faced on his way home from the war.

• These poems were central to the education system and influenced later writing as well.

Main Idea 3: Greek literature lives on and influences our

world even today.

• The most obvious way we see the influence of the Greeks is in our language.

• Many English words and expressions come from mythology, such as “odyssey” and “titanic.”

• Greek myths have inspired artists and writers for centuries.

• Moviemakers have borrowed some of these stories.

• Mythological references are also common among names of sports teams.

Click window above to start playing.