Post on 19-Jan-2016
Ancient Greece
Greece: Geography
• Had a huge impact on development of Greece
• Much smaller compared to Mesopotamia and Egypt
• 50,000 square miles
Greece: Geo (cont’d.)
• Peninsula
• Very Mountainous
• Many small Islands in the surrounding Seas
Greece: Geo (cont’d.)
• Small plains/river valleys surrounded by mountain ranges
• Mountains caused isolation
• Differentiated development
• Each “community” independent from the others
Greece: Geo (cont’d.)
• Independence encouraged political affairs
• Intra-warfare or war within Greece itself – a kind of civil war
• Constant battle devastated Greek society
Greece: Geo (cont’d.)
• Water played a major role in development
• Seafarers
• Surrounded by the Aegean Sea, The Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea
• Coastline consisted of many inlets and bays
Greece: Minoan Civilization• Minoan Civilization: Located on Island of Crete;
c. 2700-1450 BCE
• Named for Minos – legendary king of Crete; Established at Knossos
• Center of far-ranging sea empire and consisted of an elaborate palace with designated living quarters
• Wiped out – some believe by a tidal wave from a volcanic eruption from Thera; most believe it to be from a mainland attack by the Mycenaean
Greece: Mycenaean
• Mycenaean from Greek state Mycenae on mainland 1600-1100 BCE
• Part of Indo-European descent – entered from areas of southern/western Europe, India, and Iran
• Came from the North and managed to gain control
Greece: Mycenaean (cont’d)• Monarchies
• Built on hill & surrounded by stone walls
• Royal families inside walls, civilian population lived scattered around the outside of the walls
• Created tombs called tholos
• For the royal family; built into hillsides
Tholos
Greece: Mycenaean (cont’d)
• Warriors; prided themselves on heroism
• Traded with surrounding areas
• Spread out militarily to conquer surrounding areas
• Mycenaean people began turning on one another, earthquakes caused damage, and new invaders moved in around 1100 BCE causing Mycenae to collapse