ANCIENT I ' . A Historical Overview of Greece Greece is located on a peninsula jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea. The Aegean Sea is to the east and the Ionian Sea is to the west. A thin strip of land connects Greece's northern mainland to the Peloponnesus, which is another name for southern Greece. Here the climate and land are poor for farming, but this location is perfect for seafaring-the Greeks have al­ ways been excellent fishermen and sailors. Around 2000 B.C., a tribe called Mycenaeans settled in the Peloponnesus. In 1194 B.C., they attacked the city of Troy on the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea. This began the Trojan War. A blind poet named Homer re- ...______________ .. corded the deeds of the heroes of the Trojan War in the llliad. Homer's other famous epic poem, the Odyssey, told the adventures of a Trojan War hero as he traveled home to Greece after the war. Ancient Greeks believed many gods and goddesses controlled the world and lived in the sky on Mt. Olympus. The mountains and valleys on the mainland of Greece isolated people from each other and caused them to form their own city-states. Everyone thought that their city-state was the best. The Greeks' pride in their own city-state kept them from uniting into a strong country. II. T.S. Denison & Co., Inc. 5 Ancient Civilizatwns-{;reece One of these important city-states was Athens. The people of Athens were divided into three social classes: the upper class, free male land­ holding citizens born in Athens; the middle class, foreign-born merchants; and the lower class, which were slaves. All citizens took part in the government, which was the beginning of what we call a "democracy" today. (The women of Athens were not considered citizens because they could not take part in the government.) During the reign of the leader Pericles,Athens enjoyed thirty years of growth in the arts and sciences, a period known as the Golden Age. Sparta was another well-known city-state which was a military society made up of three social classes: the upper class, adult free male citizens; the middle class, foreign-born merchants; and the lower class, slaves called Helots who had been taken as prisoners after wars. Although women could own property in Sparta, they were. not considered citizens. Two major periods of war arose in an­ cient Greece. The Persian Wars were twenty years of fighting between the Persianinvad­ ers and the Greeks. The Greeks won in 480 B.C., and the Golden Age began. Later, the Spartans attacked the Athenians and fought a twenty-five-year war known as the Peloponnesian War. Sparta defeated Athens in 404 B.C., and the Golden Age ended. In 338 B.C., Greece was conquered by Alexander the Great, who ruled all of the known world until his death in 323 B.C. This began the Hellenistic Age, a time when Greek culture combined with and influenced the cultures of Eastern lands also conquered by Alexander. In 31 B.C. the Roman army con­ quered Greece. T.S. Denison & Co., Inc. 6 Ancient Civilizations-Greece '1 I Geography The country of Greece is on a peninsula located in the Mediterranean Sea in south­ eastern Europe. The Aegean Sea lies to the east and the Ionian Sea lies to the west. A thin strip of land links the southern part of the mainland, called the Peloponnesus, to the northern part. Mountains and small valleys divide the land into many small areas, each one cut off from its neighbors. During the time of ancient Greece, each area became a mini-country, or a city-state. The soil was full of rocks and farm­ ing was difficult; growing enough food for everyone was not easy. However, the Greeks were close to the sea. No part of Greece is more than eighty-five miles (137 km) from shoreline, so the Greeks became expert sailors. They used their knowl­ edge of the sea to fish, to trade with other peoples, and to colonize other small islands in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. Greece has a warm, dry climate. Because it is only about 40° north of the equator, sum­ mers are very hot and winter temperatures seldom freeze the crops. Rainfall averages between twenty and fifty inches (60-127 em) per year. T.S. Denison & Co., Inc. 7 Ancient Civilizaticms--Greece FARMING (1) the A s in most of the early civilizations, agriculture in Ancient Greece was the .t\rnost important occupation and employed most people. Around 6000 B.C., people from the ea~tern Mediterraneall regions settled in eastern Greece and began to ens farm the land. In the folloVving centuri.es, it became traditional for Greek freemen m- to own land and their wealth was indicated by the size of their property and the lere number of animals they owned. Some smaller farrnel~ could not afford slaves and just managed to scrape a living for their familie..o;;. If there was a crop failure, poor farmers could not u, ually support themselves and would have to work for their 1en 1and OVvl1ers on larger e.."tates or seek work in the city. There were no huge farming me Coin from a Greek colony ill $()llthem estates run by hundreds of slaves as in the later Roman Empire, but there were Italy, Agroin motif hows tlit slaves used on the larger farms owned by noble families or rich landowners from importance oi this crop. the cities. 'l{ay With so many mountains, soil in Greece was generally poor. Most of the Copy of va..", in the good farmland was near the coast, though there were well-watered areas British Museum like one about 20 km northwest of Corinth which was famous for its fruit uld sho\\'ing the olive and vegetables. Bread was the most important food, so barley, wheat (in ced harvest. Olives \Vel<' more fertile areas) and other grains were the main crops. Athens could picked by hand or dislodged from the only grow about 30 percent of its grain requirement~, so large quantities trees \l.ith sticks, This had to be imported. Olives were also an important crop. Poor fanners pot was made in could plant olive trees for they would grow on pOOl' soil. Some oliw'A'i were Athens about 520 B.C. eaten but most were pre..<;sed to obtain oil for cooking and lighting, or for export to sell or barter for other goods. In the city-state of Athens it was a criminal offence to dig up an olive tree, possibly because they took so long to mature, but probably because of their importance to the economy. Activity Box How did the Greeks pick their olives? L The most important crops were grains and \'\·11en did early settlers first cultivate the 7. What was the most important food made from land in Greece? farm produce? 3. Which city-state grew fine fruit and vegetables? 8. Which Greeks could own land? 4. Why was olive oil so important? 9. Why could olive trees grow on motmtain slopes? 5. Olive trees grow qUickly. True or False? 10. Which city-state had to import grain? Greece 1. Identify the fol­ lowing on your map (refer to a map of an­ cient Greece in an en­ -..-.. cyclopedia): • Mediterranean Sea • Aegean Sea • Ionian Sea • Peloponnesus • Crete • Persia • Macedonia • City of Athens • City of Sparta • City of Troy • City of Alexan­ dria (in Egypt) • Pindus Moun­ tains • Griva Mountains 2. Shade the water blue, the land tan, and the mountain ranges gray. 3. Greece is a land of mountains and rocky soil. If you had lived in ancient Greece, how would you have fed your family? ______________ 4. The coastline of Greece has many harbors-which is considered the most important? Why do you think many Greeks choose to make their living from the sea? --------------------------- T.S. Denison & Co., Inc. 9 Ancient Civilizations-Creece N Read the paragraph for background information. Then use the map to answer the questions. w E The Minoans lived entirely surrounded by water on the island of Crete. Sometimes known as s the Bull-Jumpers for a popular sport on the island, they might be better iWlown as the ship­ builders of the ancient world. They were the first civilization to have a navy. Without their navy, the Minoans might never have developed to the extent that they did. Elsewhere in the Mediterranean Sea, ancient pirates controlled the waters. They would also land at towns and cities along the coast and attack the people to steal their goods. The navy kept the Minoans safe and allowed the culture to flourish. The Minoans produced two famous forms of artwork. They covered their walls in colorful frescoes-paintings made on wet plaster. They also made beautiful sculptures and vessels from bronze and pottery. During the middle Minoan period, writing was developed and palaces were built. The first sophisticated form of writing from the area is now called Linear A. A later form that came from the Greeks is known as Linear B. 1. What was Linear A and how does it relate to Knossos? 2. Which island is closest to 35°N and 24°E? 3. Look at the scale and the measures of latitude and latitude. Why is this information necessary when comparing the map to other maps? 4. How many palace sites are shown on the map? 5. When did the Minoan culture first become established on Crete? 6. Which sea is south of Crete? 7.