The Ancient Greeks

The Geography of Greece Mainland Greece is a mountainous peninsula—a body of land with water on three sides. The Ionian Sea is to the west of Greece, the Aegean Sea is to the east, and the Mediterranean Sea is to the south. Ancient Greeks were fishers, sailors, traders, and farmers. (page 117) The Early Greeks

The Geography of Greece Although Greece’s rocky soil made it difficult to farm, people could grow wheat, barley, olives, and grapes in the favorable climate. (page 117) The Early Greeks

The Minoans The ruins of the Minoan civilization, the first civilization to arise in Greece, are on the island of Crete. Artifacts at the palace at Knossos reveal the riches of the Minoan people, such as wine, oil, jewelry, and statues. The Minoan people were traders, traveling by ship to trade with other countries. (page 118) The Early Greeks

The Minoans (cont.) The Minoan civilizations collapsed around 1450 B.C., although historians disagree on the cause of the Minoan destruction. (page 118) The Early Greeks

The First Greek Kingdoms The first Greek kings were Mycenaean leaders, whose people invaded the Greek mainland around 1900 B.C. (pages 119–120) The center of the Mycenaean kingdom was a palace surrounded by large farms. The Mycenaeans began trading with the Minoans and learned much about Minoan culture. The Early Greeks

The First Greek Kingdoms (cont.) Before collapsing around 1100 B.C., the Mycenaean civilization was the most powerful on the Mediterranean. The Dark Age occurred between 1100 B.C. and 150 B.C. and was a time of less trade and poverty among people. The Dorians invaded Greece, bringing new weapons and farming technology to the Greek people. The Early Greeks (pages 119–120)

The First Greek Kingdoms (cont.) The Greeks learned about an alphabet from the Phoenicians, one of their trading partners. The Greek alphabet had 24 letters that stood for different sounds. The Early Greeks (pages 119–120)

A Move to Colonize After the Dark Age, Greek people began to set up colonies in other countries. (page 121) This colonization spread Greek culture. Trade between colonists and the parent cities grew, and soon merchants were trading goods for money instead of more goods. The Early Greeks

The Polis A polis, or city-state, was like an independent country. (pages 122–123) City-states varied in size and population. An acropolis, located at the top of a hill, was the main gathering place of the city- state. An agora, or open area, served as a market and as a place for people to meet and debate issues. The Early Greeks

The Polis (cont.) The Greeks were the first people to develop the idea of citizenship, in which citizens of a country are treated equally and have rights and responsibilities. In Greek city-states, only free, native- born, land-owning men could be citizens. Citizens could vote, hold office, own property, and defend themselves in court. The Early Greeks (pages 122–123)

The Polis (cont.) The military of the city-states was made of ordinary citizens, not nobles. These citizens were called hoplites and fought each battle on foot instead of on horses. The Early Greeks (pages 122–123)

Discuss the following statement: “The geography of Greece influenced where people settled and what they did.” The Early Greeks

Tyranny in the City-States Nobles, who owned large farms, seized power from the Greek kings. Farmers had to borrow money from nobles and often could not pay back the debt. The farmers lost their land and had to work for the nobles or were sold into slavery. Nobles, who owned large farms, seized power from the Greek kings. (pages 125–126) Sparta and Athens

Tyranny in the City-States (cont.) This unhappiness led to the rise of tyrants, or people who take power by force and rule with total authority. Tyrants overthrew the nobles during the 600s B.C. Unhappy farmers demanded changes in the power structure of the city-states. Sparta and Athens (pages 125–126)

Tyranny in the City-States (cont.) The Greek people eventually tired of the tyrants and created oligarchies or democracies. An oligarchy is a form of government in which a few people hold power. Tyrants maintained their popularity by building marketplaces, temples, and walls. Sparta and Athens (pages 125–126)

Tyranny in the City-States (cont.) Sparta was an oligarchy; Athens was a democracy. A democracy is a form of government in which all citizens share power. Sparta and Athens (pages 125–126)

Sparta To keep the helots from rebelling, the Spartans created a strong military of boys and men. To obtain more land, Spartans conquered and enslaved their neighbors, calling them helots. (pages 126–127) Boys entered the military at age seven. At age 20, men entered the regular army and lived in the barracks for 10 years. Sparta and Athens

Sparta (cont.) They returned home at age 30 but served in the army until age 60. Spartan girls were trained in sports to become healthy mothers and were freer than other Greek women. The Spartan government was an oligarchy containing two branches, a council of elders, and an assembly. Sparta and Athens (pages 126–127)

Sparta (cont.) The Spartan government kept foreign travelers out and discouraged its own citizens from traveling in order to maintain control of the country. Sparta and Athens (pages 126–127)

Athens Boys in Athens attended school to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic. (pages 128–130) Athenian girls learned household duties from their mothers. Some wealthy girls learned reading, writing, and playing the lyre. The government of early Athens was an oligarchy. Sparta and Athens

Section 1: The Early Greeks Focusing on the Main Ideas Colonies and trade spread Greek culture and spurred industry. The idea of citizenship developed in Greek city-states. The Ancient Greeks

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