Daily Focus Skills Chapter 4

Chapter 4

• On a historical map of the ancient Mediterranean area, locate Greece and trace the boundaries of its influence to 300 BC/BCE.

• Explain how the geographical location of ancient Athens and other city-states contributed to their role in maritime trade, their colonies in the Mediterranean, and the expansion of their cultural influence.

• Explain how the development of democratic political concepts in ancient Greece lead to the origins of direct Democracy and representative Democracy, including: the “polis” or city-state, civic participation and voting rights, legislative bodies, constitution writing, rule of law.

Locating Places

• Crete (KREET) • Mycenae (my·SEE·nee)

• Agamemnon (A·guh·MEHM·nahn)

• Peloponnesus (PEH·luh·puh·NEE·suhs)

Meeting People

Building Your Vocabulary

• peninsula

• polis

• colony

• agora

The geography of Greece influenced where people settled and what they did.

Mainland Greece is a mountainous peninsula—a body of land with water on three sides.

The Ionian Sea is to the west of Greece, the Aegean Sea is to the east, and the Mediterranean Sea is to the south.

Due to its location, many Greeks made a living from the sea. (fishers, sailors, traders) Others settled in farming communities.

Greece’s mountains and rocky soil were made farming difficult.

Crops: grapes, wheat, barley, olives

Raised: sheep and goats

The ruins of the Minoan civilization, the first civilization to arise in Greece, are on the island of Crete. The Minoans were not Greek. They only inhabited the region that later became Greece. Artifacts at the palace at Knossos reveal the riches

of the Minoan people, such as wine, oil, jewelry, and statues.

The Minoan people made their wealth from trade, traveling by ship to trade with other countries. The Minoan civilization collapsed around 1450 B.C.,

although historians disagree on the cause of the Minoan destruction. Some historians think an undersea earthquakes caused waves that washed away the cities. Others think the Mycenaeans invaded the Minoans.

How do historians know the Minoans were a wealthy people?

Artifacts at the palace of Knossos included items only wealthy people would have, such as bathrooms.

The first Greek kings were Mycenaean leaders, whose people invaded the Greek mainland around 1900 B.C.

The center of the Mycenaean kingdom was a palace surrounded by large farms.

The Mycenaeans began trading with the Minoans and learned much about Minoan culture.

They copied the ways Minoans worked with bronze and built ships. They also copied the way the Minoans used the sun and stars to navigate the seas.

The Mycenaean people also worshiped the Earth Mother, the Minoan’s chief goddess.

Before collapsing around 1100 B.C., the Mycenaean civilization was the most powerful on the Mediterranean.

Even though the Mycenaeans were wealthy. They were prouder of their warriors and battles.

Their most famous victory was the Trojan War. We will learn later of the Trojan War and the Mycenaean king Agamemnon and how he used trickery to win that war.

The Mycenaean kingdom collapsed due to earthquakes and fighting.

The Dark Age occurred between 1100 B.C. and 750 B.C. and was a time of less trade and poverty among people.

Negative effects: Not enough food

Teaching stopped

Greeks forgot written language

Positive effects: Population shift

1000’s of Greeks left the mainland and settled on the islands in the Aegean Sea

Others moved to Asia Minor

This caused the expansion of Greek culture.

The Dorians (who lived in the northern mountains of Greece) invaded Greece, bringing new weapons and farming technology to the Greek people.

The new farming tools helped create a food surplus.

Trade was revived.

Due to trade resuming, a new language was gained from the Phoenicians (trading partner on eastern coast of Mediterranean.)

The Greek alphabet had 24 letters that stood for different sounds.

After the Dark Age, Greek people began to set up colonies in other countries. This colonization spread Greek culture.

A colony is a settlement in a new territory that keeps close ties with the homeland.

Trade between colonists and the parent cities grew, and soon merchants were trading goods for money instead of more goods.

A polis, or city-state, was like an independent country. City-states varied in size and population. An acropolis, located at the top of a hill, was

the main gathering place of the city-state.

An agora, or open area, served as a market and as a place for people to meet and debate issues. The Greeks were the first people to develop the

idea of citizenship, in which citizens of a country are treated equally and have rights and responsibilities.

Each Greek city-state was run by its citizens.

In Greek city-states, only free, native-born, land-owning men could be citizens.

Citizens could vote, hold office, own property, and defend themselves in court.

Citizen Rights Gather in the agora to choose their officials and pass laws

Vote

Hold office

Own property

Defend themselves in court

Citizen Duties Serve in government

Fight for their polis as citizen soldiers

The military of the city-states was made of ordinary citizens, not nobles. These citizens were called hoplites and fought each battle on foot instead of on horses.

Hoplites carried a shield, sword, and spear. They fought shoulder to shoulder in rows. This make them very good soldiers.

Discuss the following statement:

“The geography of Greece influenced where people settled and what they did.”

What made the Minoans wealthy?

Trade

The Early Greeks

City-states were tiny independent countries, while cities are part of a country.

How was a Greek city-state different from a city?

The Early Greeks

Summarize What changes occurred in Greece during the Dark Age?

Trade slowed, poverty took hold, people stopped farming, people stopped teaching writing and craftwork, and many Greeks moved elsewhere.

The Early Greeks

Citizenship Skills Name three rights granted to Greek citizens that American citizens have today.

Answers include voting, holding office, owning property, defending themselves in court.

The Early Greeks

Link to Economics Why did the use of money help trade to grow?

Money is small and easier to trade than bartered goods.

The Early Greeks