Download - Early Greece
Ancient Greece
Geography, Rise of City-States
Geography Mountains
- ¾ land covered by mountains
- Limited arable land- land suitable for agriculture
- Mt. Olympus: highest mountain known as the “home of the gods”
- Made transportation, communication, trade over land, and unification difficult
Ionian Sea
Aegean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
Rivers
- Short, narrow, difficult to navigate by boat
- Made transportation and trade difficult by river
Seas
- Many Greeks became sailors, fishers, and traders
- Traded with other Greek settlements, Egypt, and Fertile Crescent
Minoans Civilization that developed
on Island of Crete (2000 BC-1400 BC)Named after legendary king
MinosPalace at KnossosWalls of palace covered with
huge frescoes- paintings made on wet plaster
Sea faring peopleThriving trade with other Aegean landsStrong navies to support trade
Fell to Mycenaeans from mainland Greece
Mycenaeans Controlled mainland Greece
from 1600 BC-1400 BC Named after leading city,
Mycenae, which was heavily fortified
Warring people led by warrior kingsGreat wealth from battle and trade
Led the Greeks in Trojan War- story told by Homer
Dark Ages of Greece, 1150-750 BC Not long after the Trojan
War ended Mycenaeans fell to
invaders People known as the
Dorians migrated to the Balkan Peninsula
No written language
Rise of City-States (700s BC) Polis, or independent city-state
Geography played a huge role in their development and independence
Built around an acropolis, or fortified hillEach had an agora, or marketplaceEach had its own government, laws, weights and
measures, calendar, and money
Citizenship in the
City-State
To be considered a citizen, must be a free adult male Women, slaves, and foreigners not considered
citizensCitizens had political rights and the responsibility
of civic participation in government
Homeric Age Epic- Long poems about
heroes and great events Most famous was blind
poet named HomerWrote two famous epics-
The Iliad and The OdysseyThe Iliad- Story of the
Trojan WarThe Odyssey- Odysseus’
journey home from war
The Iliad
ParisHelenMycenaean King
Troy
10 yrs Troy Loses
The Odyssey
Odysseus
Mycenaean King on journey home from Trojan War
Religion Polytheistic Religion Religion did not focus on morality or an afterlife Religion was used by Greeks to explain their world Created myths- traditional stories about gods,
goddesses and heroes Their religion myths provided explanations for:
Natural phenomena (lightning, change of seasons, etc.)Human qualities (emotions, bravery, etc.)Life Events (long life, good luck, good harvest, etc.)
Greek Gods and Goddesses
Lived on Mount Olympus
Zeus- King of the gods
Apollo
light, music, and poetry
Athena
Protector of wisdom and womanly goodness
Aphrodite
love and beauty
Artemis
Hunting and the Wilderness
Hera- Goddess
of marriage
The Olympic Games Held every four years beginning in 776 BC
Held at Olympia on a grassy field Used to appease the gods Athletes won honor and a wreath of olive
leaves
Government City-states originated as small kingdoms ruled
by warrior leaders supported by wealthy landowners.Landowners supported warrior leaders by providing
weapons for army to ensure the city-states’ safetyOver time small group of landowners became known
as aristocrats By 700 BC, many aristocrats had overthrown
the warrior leaders of their city-states Governed as an aristocracy- ruled by small
elite group of citizens
Phalanx During aristocratic years,
many commoners revolted
Created citizen armies with iron weapons
These soldiers were called hoplites
They formed a fighting formation called a phalanx
Tyrants Came to power through the rebellions
Tyrant- someone who Illegally took power, but had the people’s support.
Initially provided better lives for the poorer people in the city-state
Promoted trade by the establishment of colonies and often began great building projects
Other forms of Government Around 500s BC, many tyrants lost their
power to new ideas of how people should be governed
Ideas of popular government became popular, the idea that people can and should rule themselves
Various forms of government arose in city-states, including Athens and Sparta, two leading city-states