greek civilization

The early Greeks developed important settlements, trade routes, and political ideas in the Mediterranean region.

It Matters Because

How does geography influence the way people live?

​Essential Question

Lesson Introduction

​Greek civilization

​by : Mr. Donny

The early Greeks developed important settlements, trade routes, and political ideas in the Mediterranean region.

It Matters Because

How does geography influence the way people live?

​Essential Question

Lesson Introduction

Ancient Greece

The Minoans (cont.)

• Minoans earned a living from sea trade by exporting goods to Cyprus, Canaan, Mesopotamia, and Egypt’s Old Kingdom.

• Around 1628 BC, a tidal wave, caused by a nearby volcanic eruption, wiped out many of their coastal communities.

• In 1400 BC, they were conquered by the Mycenaeans.

The Mycenaeans

• The Mycenaeans were the first advanced civilization on the Greek mainland.

• They traded with the Minoans, Egyptians, and civilizations in Asia Minor

• They also went to war with nearby civilizations using BRONZE weapons

• Homer, a Greek author, wrote about their war with Troy (aka the Trojan War) and how they tricked the Trojans in his epic poem, The Iliad. (More on this later!)

The Mycenaeans

• In the 1100s BC, the Mycenaeans and other Bronze Age civilizations collapsed perhaps due to internal fighting, invasions, or natural disasters

Legends & Myths

• Storytelling has always been a significant part of Greek culture.

• Their stories teach us about Greek values and beliefs.

• Three main types of stories: Legends, myths and fables

Legends & Myths

• Legends: stories handed down to explain the past; may be based on actual events.

  • ​Homer wrote these some of the legends down in two famous epics (long poems): The Illiad and The Odyssey

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• ​Myths: stories handed down that explain how the actions of the gods and goddesses affected nature & human life.

​Greece was the first civilization to develop in Europe. People first settled in river valleys that had rich soil. If you flew over Greece today, you would see rugged landscapes and beautiful seas.

​​Mountains

​Greece is a peninsula. This means that it is surrounded by water on three sides. Among the many islands that make up Greece, ancient people traded. Many fished for a living. On the plains between the mountains, farmers raised crops and sheep and goats.

​​Seas

Another civilization called Crete developed off the coast of southern Greece. About 1900, a British archaeologist named Arthur Evans found items from this civilization on Knossos.

• The palace has many rooms that stored food.

• Other rooms were workshops where people made jewelry and vases.

• An ancient people called the Minoans built the palace.

​Trade was very important economically for the Minoans. They traded pottery and vases for ivory and metals in Egypt and Syria. Sometime around 1450 B.C., the Minoan civilization ended. Historians hypothesize that people from the mainland, known as Mycenaeans, invaded Crete.

​Island Civilization

Minoan traders from Crete visited the Greek mainland. This led to the Mycenaeans adopting many features of Minoan culture.

• building ships

• working with bronze

• using the sun and stars to navigate the sea

• worshipping the Earth Mother as chief god

By the mid-1400s B.C., the Mycenaeans had conquered the Minoans and ruled the Aegean Sea. This brought them much new welath that they used to strengthen their military.

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Mainland Civilization

Traders and Warriors

By 750 B.C., many descendants of the people who ran away returned to the Greek mainland. They brought back new ideas, crafts, skills. These people called themselves Hellenes, or Greeks. Greeks traded surplus food with the Egyptians and Phoenicians. As trade increased, a new need for writing developed.

The Hellenes

Internal conflict and earthquakes destroyed the fortresses of Mycenaean palaces and led to the decline of their kingdoms. A group known as the Dorians then invaded the land. For 300 years, trade slowed down, artisans produced less valuables, and most were very poor. Many people fled the land.

A Dark Age

Mainland Civilization

The Greek alphabet had 24 letters that represented different sounds. It greatly simplified reading and writing in the Greek language. Record keeping became easier. Soon, people wrote down tales that had previously been told by bards, or storytellers.

​Alphabet

Written Language

The polis, or city-state, was the basic political unit in early Greece. At the center of each polis was a fort built on a hilltop. This fort was called an acropolis. The open area outside of the acropolis was called the agora. This space was used as a marketplace and people gathered to debate issues, pass laws, and choose officials.

Each polis was governed by its own citizens. The Greeks developed the modern idea of citizenship. Only men born in the polis were considered citizens. As a result, only they could vote, hold public office, and defend themselves in court.

The Greek City-State

Citizens fought to defend their city-state. These citizen soldier were called hoplites. They fought on foot. Each was armed with a round shield, a short sword, and a spear. They would march shoulder to shoulder in battle. This formation was called a phalanx.

The polis gave Greek citizens a sense of belonging. However, strong loyalty to their individual city-states also divided Greece. This lack of unity weakened Greece.

Chapter 8 - Greek Civilization

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