Early Greece

IMPACT OF GEOGRAPHY

Greece is a small peninsula

surrounded by many islands.

Greece is 80% mountainous, which isolated

Greeks from each other causing

them to develop their own ways of life and become

fiercely independent.

GREEKS IN THE DARK AGE

After collapse of Minoans, then Mycenaeans, food production in Greece dropped and population declined.

There are few records of this time, known as the Dark Age (1100-750 BC).

Iron replaced bronze, improving weaponry and farming.

Greeks adopted Phoenician alphabet, making all words with a combination of 24 letters. This made learning to read and write simpler.

POLIS: THE CENTER OF GREEK LIFE

By 750 BC the city-state (polis) became the focus of Greek life. City-states varied in size (from a few hundred to several thousand).

Greek society was divided into three classes in each polis:• citizens with political rights (adult males)• citizens without political rights (women and children)• non-citizens (slaves and foreigners.)

GREEK EXPANSION

Between 750-550 BC, many Greeks moved to Italy, France, Spain, and North Africa for trade and good farmland.

The most notable colony was Byzantium, which later became Constantinople and then Istanbul.

The increase in trade created a new wealthy class.To gain and maintain power, they became tyrants.