Ancient Greece INTRODUCTION Geography of Greece Greece is

Ancient Greece INTRODUCTION

Geography of Greece • Greece is a small European country in the Mediterranean Sea. • The main part of Greece is on a peninsula and the rest are islands.

Greek City-States • Greece is made of many islands, and has many tall mountains, they build city-states instead of one big country. • City-state= is a city with its own laws, rulers, and money. They were cities that acted like our countries.

• Even though Ancient Greece was made up of many different city-states, they shared a common language, culture and other social characteristics. • The greeks were polytheistic and believed their gods were like humans in appearance and in the way they thought.

• Ancient Greek civilisation was preceded by two other civilisations: 1. Minoian (island of Crete) 2. Mycenaean (the north- east of the Peloponnese peninsula).

Minoian Civilisation • Crete island was very fertile, so agriculture began to develop around 7000 BC. • They had a great economic development because of the localisation between Africa, Asia and Europe.

• Crete

• Craftwork developed. • They had cities, such as Knossos (the capital of the Minoian civilisation). • By the middle of the 15 th century, the Minoian culture had Been destroyed by conquerors from mainland Greece.

2. Mycenaean civilisation • Emerged on the Peloponnese peninsula on mainland Greece. • This civilisation was divided into small kingdoms ruled by a King. • They experienced a crisis between 1200 and 1150 BC which marked the beginning of its decline. • Greece entered a Dark Age.