Geography of Greece
Mountainous peninsula
Mountains cover 3/4
Approximately 1,400 islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas
Skilled sailors
poor natural resources
Difficult to unite the ancient Greeks because of the terrain; developed small, independent communities.
Greece is on the Mediteranian sea. It is next to Asia and above Egypt.
20% suitable for farming
fertile valleys cover 1/4 of peninsula
because of geography the Greek diet consists of grains, grapes, olives
lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization
temperature range from 48 in the winter to 80 in the summer.
Mycenaeans
Began around 2000 BC
Mycenae is located on a rocky ridge and protected by a 20 ft thick wall
Mycenaean kings dominated Greece from 1600-1200BC
controlled trade in the region
1400BC Mycenaeans invaded Crete absorbed Minoan culture and lanuage
Culture in Decline
around 12000 BC sea people began to invade Mycenae and burnt palace after place
the Dorians moved into the war-torn region
far less advanced
economy collapsed
writing disappeared for 400 years.
Homer and Myths
Only stories were kept and passed on by word mouth
Homer lived at the end of the "Greek Dark Ages"
Recored stories of the Trojan War in the lliad and the Odyssey(written 750-700BC)
Trojan war was probably one of the last conquest of the Mycenaeans
Greeks invented democracy.
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