The geography of Greece, consisting of a mountainous peninsula jutting into the Mediterranean Sea, helped shape Greek culture in several ways. The terrain led to the development of independent city-states rather than a unified empire, allowing Greek culture to flourish while politics and military affairs differed between cities. Early cultures like the Minoans, Mycenaeans, and Phoenicians influenced Greek architecture, religion, shipbuilding, and literature. The isolation of the city-states also drove the Greeks to become masters of seafaring.

1. Unit 3: Day 1 Classical Greece
Outcome: Geography & Early Culture

2. Essential Question
1. In what ways did the
geography of Greece help
shape Greek culture?

3. What are we going to learn?
1. Greek Geography
2. Early cultures that influenced Greece (Minoans,
Mycenaeans, Phoenicans, and Dorians)
3. Early Greek Culture

4. Where is Greece?

5. Geography & Early Culture
2. Geography Shapes Greek Life
a. Ancient Greece most consisted of a mountainous peninsula jutting out
into the Mediterranean Sea

6. Greek City-States

7. Geography & Early Culture
3. Early Cultures Influence the Greeks
a. The Minoans
i. Gave the Greeks architecture, burial customs, and religious
rituals
ii. Were athletic like the Greeks

8. The Phoenicians

9. Geography & Early Culture
b. The Phoenicians
i. Gave the world the Phonetic Alphabet
ii. Were excellent merchant ship builders – influenced Greek ship
building

10. Geography & Early Culture
● Due to the sea the Greeks were master ship builders
● Built Triremes: sturdy ships with battering ram in front for
battle

11. The Mycenaeans

12. Geography & Early Culture
c. The Mycenaeans
i. Influenced Greek religious practice, art, politics, and
literature
ii. Fought in the Trojan Wars

13. Geography & Early Culture
● Greek epics, or narrative poems, celebrated heroic deeds and characters
● Homer wrote the Iliad (story of the Trojan Wars) and the Odyssey

14. Greek Architecture
Where do you see similar structures today??

15. Take a moment and summarize your
notes by answering the EQ.
1. In what ways did the
geography of Greece help
shape Greek culture?

16. Possible Answers
5. Greek Culture
a. Due to terrain, the Greeks created city-states
b. Due to city-states, the Greeks were a civilization but not an empire
c. The Greeks shared similarities in culture but politics and military differed by
city
d. Greeks would pioneer democracy, philosophy, warfare, and
architecture