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