Ancient Greeks: Mountains and Seas

Chapter 8 Lesson 1

Describe the geography of Greece

Analyze how the ancient Greeks adapted to the land and sea

Discuss the importance of trade to the ancient Greeks

Objectives

Peninsula – stretch of land that is almost completely surrounded by water

Isthmus – small strip of land

Harbor – sheltered places with deep water close to the shoreline

Vocabulary

Present-day Greece is located on the Balkan Peninsula

Mountains covered nearly 75% of mainland Greece, where the soil is thin and rocky

About 2,000 islands surround Greece’s jagged coastline

How do you think living on the coastline affected the lives of early Greeks? (your opinion)

See map on page 271 in textbook

What causes much of the soil on mainland Greece to be thin and rocky?

Mountains and Seas

What causes much of the soil on mainland Greece to be thin and rocky? The mountains caused the

soil to be thin and rocky

How is southern Greece connected to the northern part? It is connected by a small

strip of land called an isthmus

Mountains and Seas

On the mainland, early Greeks lived in isolated mountain valleys

Land travel was difficult

They raised livestock and grew crops that did well in a dry climate and poor soil

How did the mountains affect inland travel and trade in ancient Greece?

Life Among Mountains

What kept the people of Greece from uniting under one government?◦ The mountains separated

How did the mountains affect inland travel and trade in ancient Greece?◦ The made them difficult

What did early Greek farmers do to solve the problems caused by the dry climate and poor soil◦ They figured out how to grow crops that did well

in the dry climate and poor soil region. These crops included barley, wheat, olives, and grapes

Life Among Mountains

Ancient Greeks started most of their settlements near the coast and used the seas for food and travel

As they traveled they exchanged ideas and religious beliefs

Advantages: sea travel helped them exchange ideas and goods with other cultures

Disadvantages: sea travel was dangerous

Life by the Seas

According to the Greeks the god Poseidon ruled the seas and watched over sailors and their boats

They believed he expressed his moods through the sea

Storm = Poseidon was angry

Poseidon

Farming surpluses: olives, grains, and grapes allowed the early people of Greece to trade for resources they did not have

Food surpluses and improved farming techniques led to new kinds of jobs

Craft workers made tools, containers, clothing, and other objects from natural resources such as wood, clay, bone, wool, stone and metal

Olives and grapes were used for olive oil and wine

Exchange and Trade

The geography of Greece affected the lives of its early people

Mountains separated settlements and made inland trade difficult

Early farmers learned to grow crops suited to the rock soil and dry climate

Settlements along the seas developed into seafaring cultures

Through trade, the early people of Greece exchanged goods and ideas with other cultures in the Mediterranean

Lesson Summary

Why was the farming of olives, grapes, and grain such a powerful discovery for the early people of Greece?◦ Not only could they produce a steady food supply,

they could also provide a surplus. This surplus supported a growing population.

What goods did the ancient Greeks import and export◦ Imported: wheat◦ Exported: wine, olive oil, pottery and wood

Questions