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Ancient Greece Notes:
Ancient Greece Notes:
Geography Shapes Ancient Greek Life
Geography Shapes Ancient Greek Life
ESSENTIAL QUESTION What were the main features of the geography of Greece?
ESSENTIAL QUESTION What were the main features of the geography of Greece?
The mainland of Greece sticks out into the Mediterranean Sea. It is a peninsula, a body of land that has water on three sides. Greece also includes thousands of islands.
A gulf of water almost divides the Greek peninsula in two. The southern tip forms a second peninsula called the Peloponnesus (pehl•uh•puh•NEE•suhs). A narrow strip of land called an isthmus (IHS•muhs) links the Peloponnesus to the rest of Greece.
Landscape and Climate
Landscape and Climate
Mountains cover 70 to 80 percent of Greece, dividing it into many regions. The uneven landscape made transportation over land difficult. Unlike most other Ancient Civilizations, Greece had no large rivers on which people could travel. The rugged landscape made it hard to unite Greece under a single government.
Greece has mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. In much of Greece, temperatures range from about 50°F in winter to 80°F in summer. The warm climate encouraged outdoor life. For example, outdoor athletic competitions such as races were an essential part of Greek culture.
Land Use in Greece
Land Use in Greece
Mountains cover 70 to 80 percent of Greece. As a result, only about 20 to 30 percent of Greek land was good for farming. Even so, the ancient Greeks found ways to make the best use of the land that they had. For example, the Greeks grew grain on the few open plains available to them. Olive trees grew on the edges of those plains.
Agriculture
Agriculture
Greek land was rocky, so only about 20 to 30 percent was suitable for farming. Even so, more than half of all Greeks were farmers or herders. Most farmland in Greece was located in the valleys between mountains.
In Ancient Greek society, landowners were part of the upper class. In general, only men owned property. A person who owned land could support himself. He had enough wealth to pay for equipment such as helmets, shields, and swords. This allowed him to serve in the army and defend his homeland. As a result, people respected landowners, who had a higher place in society than merchants or poor people.
In order to get more farmland, the Greeks founded colonies in other regions. The western end of Anatolia had broad plains and rivers. The Greeks founded many colonies there.
Resources
Resources
The lack of farmland was not the only problem. Greece also lacked natural resources such as precious metals. The Greeks had to find those resources somewhere else.
One resource that Greece did have was stone for building. Greece also had plenty of suitable sites for harbors.
Trade Helps Greece Prosper
Trade Helps Greece Prosper
ESSENTIAL QUESTION How did the sea affect Greek life?
ESSENTIAL QUESTION How did the sea affect Greek life?
Just as rivers influenced other ancient cultures, the sea influenced Greece. Greece has a long coastline, and most places in Greece are less than 100 miles from the coast. Many cities were built directly on harbors.
Highways of Water
Highways of Water
Several seas played a significant role in ancient Greece's life, the largest being the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The Ionian Sea is west of Greece, the Aegean Sea to the east. The Ionian and Aegean seas are not very large. Small ships could sail around them by staying near the coast or by sailing from island to island. Once the Greeks learned these routes, they could sail to other regions.
These "highways of water" linked most parts of Greece to each other. The Ancient Greeks used the seas as their transportation routes in place of a river.
A Seafaring People
A Seafaring People
The Ancient Greeks were highly skilled sailors and shipbuilders. Due to the reliance on the ocean, artisans built specialized ships for fighting and trading. Rowing ships designed for war had two or three levels of oars on each side. Sailing ships for trade were more simplistic and had a single mast and square sail.
The sea was a source of fish, an essential part of the Greek diet. The Ancient Greeks traded fresh fish from the sea to local ports along the coast. They also dried some kinds of fish so that they could be transported over great distances.
Trade and Commerce
Trade and Commerce
Because of the lack of farmland, Ancient Greece did not produce much grain; however, some regions could produce surplus olive oil, wine, wool, and fine pottery. Greek city-states bought and sold surplus goods from each other. In addition, Greeks traded these items to other regions around the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, including Egypt and Italy. The main products that the Greeks bought were grain, timber for building, animal hides, and slaves. The Greeks also traded for nuts, figs, cheese, and flax, used to make linen.
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