Greece

Geography

Aegean Sea

Ionian Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Crete

Athens

Sparta

Troy

GeographyGreece is very

mountainous• 75% of Greece is

covered by mountains• Difficult to farmSurrounded by seas• Greece is located on

the Balkan Peninsula• Made trade easier

• Could get what they could not grow

GeographyCut off by mountains and the

seas• Isolated

• Led to the formation of city-states

• Limited interaction and unity of Ancient Greece

• Created fierce rivalries• Sea became a vital link

• Hundreds of bays to provide safe harbor for ships

• Skilled sailors• Traded olive oil, wine, and

marble• Returned with grains, metals,

and ideas

Geography/Climate• Greece has a

Mediterranean climate• Winters are mild and wet

– allows for limited farming

– grapes and olives• Summers are warm and

dry– leads to drought– grapes and olives are

one of the few plants that can survive the summer droughts

Timeline of Civilizations so far..• 3500 – 1500 BC: Sumer, Babylonia – 1st Known

Civilization• 2700 – 2100 BC: Egypt – Old Kingdom pyramid builders• 2600 – 1900 BC: Indus – Classic Urban Harappan phase• 1500 – 1000 BC: Egypt – New Kingdom monument

builders• 1500 – 200 BC: China – Shang, Zhou and Qin dynasties• 551BC: Confucius born• 1300 – 400 BC: Assyrian Empire – Nineveh, Nimrud• 1000 – 30 BC: Egypt – Late period: conquest and foreign

rule, Cleopatra• 200 BC – present: China – Han dynasty through

communist rule

Where does Greece fit in timeline?• 3500 – 1500 BC: Sumer, Babylonia – 1st Known Civilization• 2800 BC: Minoan civilization established• 2700 – 2100 BC: Egypt – Old Kingdom pyramid builders• 2600 – 1900 BC: Indus – Classic Urban Harappan phase• 1500 – 1000 BC: Egypt – New Kingdom monument builders• 1450BC: Minoan civilization collapses • 1500 – 200 BC: China – Shang, Zhou and Qin dynasties• 1300 – 400 BC: Assyrian Empire – Nineveh, Nimrud• 1100-750 BC: Dark Age of Greece• 1000 – 30 BC: Egypt – Late period: conquest and foreign rule,

Cleopatra• 551BC: Confucius born• 480 BC: Persia burns Athens• 200 BC – present: China – Han dynasty through communist rule

Minoans • 2800-1450 BC• Best known from island

of Crete• As population on Crete

increased, Minoans migrated to other islands and civilizations of the Mediterranean…some even may have lived in Egypt.

• Named by Sir Arthur Evans for Greek Myth of King Minos

Minoan Culture• Knossos-Crete• – Crete settled by 2800 BC• – Cretans living in cities,

trading and writing by 2000• BC• 1930 B.C.-First palace built• A “bureaucratic monarchy”• Agriculture-olive and wine• Long distance trade, ships;

copper, ivory, gold,amber• – Throughout Asia Minor,

Egypt and Mediterranean• – Minoan artifacts, art and

peoples found in Egypt

The Palace at Knossos

Collapse of the Minoans• Theories of downfall:• – Natural Disaster• • Volcanic Eruption • 1500/1450 BC (est.)• – Decimated Minoan trade city of

Akrotiri (which was one of 1st planned cities in Europe with fresh running water and sewage system for ALL Minoans)

• – Severe earthquake activity preceded eruption, leveling Knossos and other Minoan cities

• – Resulting tidal waves from eruption devastated Minoan cities further

• – Conquered by Mycenaeans after weakened by natural disaster