Lesson 4 1 The Early Greeks The Geography

Lesson 4. 1 “The Early Greeks”

The Geography of Greece

What do you call a body of land with water on 3 sides? A peninsula

What were the main occupations of people in ancient Greece? Fishers, sailors and traders

Why wasn’t farming more common in ancient Greece? The land was mountainous and had rocky soil which wasn’t ideal for growing crops.

What types of crops were grown in ancient Greece? Wheat, barley, olives and grapes

Why didn’t ancient Greek communities interact much? The communities were divided by mountains and seas.

What continent is Greece on? Europe

How did geography influence the way Greek communities developed? The mountains and seas divided the communities so they were very independent from each other

What were two major landforms in ancient Greece? Mountains and islands

The Minoans

What was the first civilization in the region that later became Greece? The Minoan civilization

What was the main occupation of the Minoans? They were traders

What do historians believe happened to the Minoan civilization? One theory is that earthquakes caused giant waves that washed away the Minoan cities. The other theory is the cities were destroyed by invaders.

The First Greek Kingdoms

How did the Mycenaeans come into power? They came from Asia and conquered the people that were living in Ancient Greece.

What does the word fortified mean?

What types of items did Greek artisans make? Leather items, clothes, jars, bronze swords, and ox-hide shields.

How did Minoan ideas travel to Mycenae? Minoan traders

What happened to Greek writing during the Dark Ages? People stopped teaching others how to write and eventually people forgot how to write.

Who was the Minoans’ chief goddess? Earth Mother

What made the Minoans wealthy? trade

Who were the first Greek kings? The Mycenaeans

What other alphabet influenced the Greek alphabet? The Phoenician alphabet

What was the Dark Ages? A time of poverty and bad times in Greece.

What was one positive thing that happened during the Dark Ages? Thousands of Greeks moved off of the mainland settled on the islands in the Aegean Sea.

How did the Dorians help advance Greek civilization? They brought iron weapons and farm tools that were much stronger than the bronze ones.

What helped bring the Greeks out of the Dark Ages? People started farming again and produced a surplus of food.

Who created the first Greek kingdoms? The Mycenaeans

A Move to Colonize

What do you call a settlement that a country sets up in a new territory? colony

What event gave a big boost to Greek trade in 600 BC? Greeks started to mint coins

How did colonization help spread Greek culture? People would move to a new area and bring with them their Greek ideas and customs

What is a “parent” country? The country that people in the colonies originally came from

How did the growth of trade lead to the growth of industry? As the demand for goods grew producers would have to make more items.

What does the term “producer” mean? Someone who makes goods to sell or trade

What does the term “consumer” mean? Someone who buys items

What does the term “specialization” mean? When someone (or some group) concentrates on a making a certain item or doing a certain type of job

The Polis

What is a polis? A Greek city-state that was like an independent country

What was the acropolis used for? It was a safe refuge in case of attacks and also a religious center.

Was the Greek religion monotheistic or polytheistic? polytheistic

What do you can the open area of an acropolis? An agora

What was the agora used for? It was a market and a place where people could meet and debate issues

What was the main difference between the government in Greece from other civilizations at the time? In Greece the people were treated as equals who had rights and responsibilities

What was the requirement to be a citizen in a Greek city-state? You had to be a free native-born man who owned land

What were the rights of Greek citizens? - Choose their officials - Pass laws - Vote - Hold office - Own property - Defend themselves in court

What were the duties of Greek citizens? - To serve in government - To fight for their polis as citizen soldiers

What term is used to describe Greek armies of ordinary citizens? hoplites

What is one reason that hoplites were good soldiers? Because they were fighting for their own land

What was the longest lasting influence of the Greeks on later civilizations? The idea of citizenship