Themes of Classical Greece Early Greeks origins and

Themes of Classical Greece �Early Greeks – origins and influence of geography �Cultural and Scientific Advancements �Athens VS Sparta – different cultures within Greece �Conflicts �Legacy

Origins of Classical Greek Civilization

MAIN IDEA � The roots of Greek culture are based on the interactions of the Mycenaean, Minoan, and Dorian cultures.

WHY IT MATTERS NOW � The seeds of much of Western cultural heritage were planted during this time period.

Influence of Geography Looking at the map, how do you think geography played a role in the development of

Geography �Mountainous peninsula that juts out into the Mediterranean Sea � 2000 islands in the Ionian and Aegean Seas �Greece was surrounded by water

Geography – Importance of the Sea �Dependant on the seas �Rarely had to travel more than 85 miles to get to the coast �Important travel and trade routes – enabled the Greeks to get much needed natural resources that they lacked (i. e. timber, metals, and farmland) �Enabled the Greeks to become the

Geography – Difficulties of the Land � Greece is roughly 75% rugged mountains � Mountains acts as natural bor between regions within Greec led to the development of sma communities rather than a sin government � Travel overland was difficult � Stony landscape – very little w suitable for farming � There were small fertile valley small-scale farming, but the G landscape could never suppo very large population – never reached more than a few milli people

Geography - Climate � Moderate climate (48 in the Winter; 80 in the Summer) supported an outdoor lifestyle � Huge influence on culture – outdoor public

Notes on Greek Geography �Surrounded by water – travel and trade �Rugged terrain – isolated villages and limited farming �Warm climate �Limitations forced Greeks to expand empire

Mycenaeans – The First Greeks �Indo-Europeans that migrated to Greece in 2000 BCE �Main city was in Mycenae �Civilization flourished from 1600 -1100 BCE �Dominated Greece through conquest – warring aristocracy

Mycenaean Culture �Written language �Elaborate burial rituals �Crops – grain, olives and grapes �Huge textile industry �Art – jewelry, frescoes, architecture, advanced weapons

Mycenaean Civilization Notes � From Mycenae, Southern Greece � Dominated Greece 1600 -1100 BCE � Militant

Minoans – Other Early Greeks �Occupied the island of Crete and came into contact with the Mycenaeans around 1500 BCE �Influenced the Mycenaeans �Seaborne trade �Much more “civilized” than the Mycenaeans �Language, art, architecture, technology

Minoan Notes � Trade � Writing � Influenced Greek religion, art, politics and literature

Mycenaeans and Minoans Notes � Set the groundwork for modern Western civilizations

And then came the Dorians… �After the collapse of the Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations, the Dorians moved in… they almost ruined a good thing. �Far less advanced �Economy and trade collapsed �Lost written language �No written records �Even though they weren’t too sharp, the Dorians played a huge role in the development of Greek culture �Loss of written language led to an oral tradition – epic poems �Most Greek myths/gods stem from epic poems

Dorians - Notes � Far less advanced � Lost written language, few records � Led to epic poems,