3. Physical Characteristics

4. Present day Greece is located in the continent of Europe, in the northern and eastern hemispheres. Greece is on a peninsula, and is surrounded on three sides by the Mediterranean Sea. Ancient Greece had many hills and mountains. The soil was very dry and rocky, and therefore it was difficult to farm.

5. Map of Ancient Greece

6. Adaptations

7. Adapting to Mountainous Land The people of Ancient Greece developed many small independent communities called city-states because they were separated by the mountainous land.

8. Adapting to Hills & Limited Rich Soil The people of Ancient Greece farmed on hillsides using terraced farming.

9. Terraced Farming Olives and grapes were the most important crops to the Ancient Greeks.

10. Important Crops Olive Trees Ate olives Used wood for bowls Used leaves for animal feed Skins pressed for oil Grapes Used to make wine

11. Traveled by sea to communicate with other city-states Traveled by sea to trade with other countries (economic interdependence)

12. Human Characteristics What type of jobs did the Ancient Greeks have? (economic specialization) Farmers Shipbuilders Traders Fisherman Artists

13. Contributions in Government Greece is the birthplace of democracy. For a short time, Athens' government was a direct democracy. In a direct democracy, all citizens got to vote on each law. Only free men who owned land, and were over the age of 20 were considered citizens.

14. Living in Ancient Athens Athens is the present day capital of Greece. The Acropolis was built on a high hill for protection and was the center of religion. The Agora (below the Acropolis) was an outdoor market and meeting place. Because Athens was built near the sea, it became a rich trading center.

15. The Acropolis Up Close

16. Architecture ParthenonColumns Doric- Plain Ionic- Scrolls Corinthian- Fancy

17. Contributions in Architecture ParthenonU.S. Supreme Court

18. Contributions in Art- sculptures, paintings & pottery

19. Contributions to Sports The Olympics of Ancient Greece The Olympics started in Ancient Greece as a festival to honor the Greek god Zeus in the city-state of Olympia. Ancient events included: wrestling, running, boxing, & chariot races The Olympics of Modern Times The first modern Olympics took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece. Athletes from all over the world gather to compete in many events. Countries take turns hosting the Olympics.