The Early Greeks Chapter 7 Section 1

Did You Know?  In early Greece, roads were bumpy dirt trails and of little use to travelers. Because of this, ships became very important. To be near ships, most Greek communities settled within 60 miles of the sea.

The Geography of Greece  Mainland Greece is a mountainous peninsula. What is a peninsula?  a body of land with water on three sides.  What sea is to the west of Greece?  Ionian Sea  What sea is to the east?  Aegean Sea  What sea is to the south?  Mediterranean Sea  How did the early Greeks make a living?  Farmers grew wheat, barley, olives, and grapes and raised sheep and goats.  Many became fishers, sailors, and traders because they were surrounded by the sea.

Discussion Question  How might a peninsula and its inhabitants be affected by its surrounding water?  Land travel might be limited, the climate might be positively or adversely affected, and occupations of the people might be ocean-related, such as sailing, trading, and fishing.

The Minoans  The ruins of the Minoan civilization, the first civilization to arise in Greece, are on what island?  the island of Crete.  What do artifacts at the palace of Knossos reveal?  the riches of the Minoan people, such as wine, oil, jewelry, and statues.  What did most Minoan people do for a living?  They were traders, traveling by ship to trade with other countries.  The Minoan civilization collapsed around 1450 B.C., although historians disagree on the cause of the Minoan destruction. What are two theories?  One theory is that the Mycenaeans conquered them.  The other theory is that a tsunami caused by an undersea earthquake destroyed them.

Discussion Question  How do historians know the Minoans were a wealthy people?  Artifacts at the palace of Knossos included items only wealthy people would have, such as bathrooms.

The First Greek Kingdoms  The 1st Greek kings were from where?  Mycenae (mySEEnee). Mycenaean leaders invaded the Greek mainland around 1900 B.C.  What was in the center of each Mycenaean kingdom?  A palace surrounded by large farms.  With whom did the Mycenaeans begin trading?  The Minoans. What did they learn from them?  Minoan culture – bronze working, ship building, navigation, religion  Before collapsing around 1100 B.C., the Mycenaean civilization was the most powerful on the Mediterranean. What began when it collapsed?  This began the Dark Age.

Dark Age  The Dark Age occurred between 1100 B.C. and 750 B.C. What happened during this time?  It was a time of poverty and less trade among people. People stopped teaching reading and writing.  Who invaded Greece, bringing new weapons and farming technology to the Greek people?  The Dorians  They settled on the Peloponnesus.  The Dorians brought iron weapons and farm tools.  From whom did the Greeks learn about an alphabet?  the Phoenicians, one of their trading partners.  The Greek alphabet had 24 letters that stood for different sounds.

Discussion Question  What was one positive result of the Dark Age?  Greeks left the mainland and settled in other countries. This helped to spread Greek culture.

The Polis  What is a Polis?  a city-state, like an independent country. City states varied in size and population.  What is an Acropolis?  located at the top of a hill, it was the main gathering place of the city-state.  What is an Agora?  an open area that served as a market and as a place for people to meet and debate issues.

Citizenship  The Greeks were the first people to develop the idea of citizenship. What is citizenship?  all citizens of a country are treated equally and have rights and responsibilities.  In Greek city-states, who could be citizens?  only free, native-born, land-owning men could be citizens.  What could citizens do?  vote, hold office, own property, and defend themselves in court.  Who made up the military of the city-states?  ordinary citizens, not nobles. What were these citizens called?  Hoplites – they fought each battle on foot instead of on horses.

Discussion Question  How does the Greek definition of a citizen compare to the modern definition of a United States citizen?  Ancient Greeks decided that only free, native- born, land-owning men could be citizens. In the modern U.S., men and women, and native-born and naturalized people can be citizens, whether they own property or not.

A Move to Colonize  After the Dark Age, Greek people began to set up colonies in other countries. What was a result of this colonization?  It spread Greek culture.  Trade between colonists and the parent cities grew, and soon merchants were trading goods for money instead of more goods.

Discussion Question  What invention allowed merchants to trade for money?  The Greeks began minting coins, which allowed merchants to trade for money.