The geography of Greece shaped Greek life. As a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides, Greece had many natural harbors. It was difficult to travel overland due to mountains, but the sea allowed Greeks to become skilled sailors and traders who established colonies around the Mediterranean. Two early civilizations, the Minoans and Mycenaeans, influenced Greek culture. The Minoans traded extensively by sea from their base on Crete, while the Mycenaeans built fortresses on the mainland and aggressively expanded their territory through attacks. Both civilizations declined around 1200 BC, plunging Greece into a dark age.

1. Geography and the
Early Greeks
Social Studies for 8th E.G.B. | Teacher: Mauricio Torres

2. A Peninsula
 Greece is a peninsula, which means that it is
surrounded on three sides by water. Greece has a lot
of smaller peninsulas sticking out from it, which means
Greece enjoys many natural harbors.

3. Landscape
 Greece is also covered
with mountains. They are
not huge mountains but if
you are trying to go from
place to place in
Greece, you'll find the
mountains a bit of an
obstacle.
 Only a small portion of
that land provide flat land
for farming and villages.

4. Sea People
 Three thousand years
ago, it was very difficult
to get from place to
place in ancient Greece
by walking. But it was
easy to get from place to
place in Greece by boat.
 In the ancient world that grew up
around the Mediterranean and
Aegean Seas, the Greeks
became known as great sailors.
They sailed about the
Mediterranean, setting up
colonies and outposts where they
could.

5. Colonies
 They tried to set up a colony or two in Egypt, but the
Egyptians chased them away. They had more luck
establishing new towns on the coast of Turkey, on the
coast of Italy, on the coast of Africa, and on the coast
of France.
 Colony: a group of people who leave their native
country to form in a new land a settlement subject
to, or connected with, the parent nation.

6. Greek Colonies

7. Greece
 Meanwhile, back in
mainland Greece, cities
were thriving. The soil
was mostly fertile. The
Greeks had a wealth of
seafood, fresh fish, a
wealth of vegetables, and
fresh drinking water. The
Greeks were very happy
with their land.

8. Trading Cultures Develop
 Many cultures settled and
developed in Greece:
 By 2000 BC the Minoans
had built and advanced
society in the Island of
Crete.
 Years later, the
Mycenaeans built towns
and fortresses all over
mainland Greece.
 These two civilizations
influenced the entire
Aegean region and helped
shape later cultures in
Greece.

9. The Bronze Age: Greek
Ancestors
Minoans

They lived in the island of
Crete. Therefore they spent a
lot of time at sea.

Mycenaeans
Good shipbuilders, that made
them traders.


They traded wood, olive oil
and pottery for
copper, gold, silver and
jewels.
It was a great location for fishing
and trading, but it had its natural
dangers: in 1600, a huge
volcanic eruption created a
tsunami which flooded Crete
and may have caused the
collapse of it’s civilization.

Unlike the Minoans, historians
consider the Myceanaeans to
be the first Greeks, mostly
because they spoke the
language.

While the Minoans sailed all
over the sea, the Mycenaeans
built fortresses on the mainland.

By the 1400s, with the decline
of the Minoans, the Greeks
were now able to take over
Crete and become the greatest
traders.

They had set up colonies
over Greece and Italy.

10. The Bronze Age: Greek
Ancestors
Minoan Art
Mycenaean Art

11. The Bronze Age: Greek
Ancestors
Minoan Architecture
Mycenaean Architecture

12. Aggressive “Trading”
 The Mycenaeans did not think
that trading should be done
peacefully. They usually attacked
other kingdoms.

Historians believe it was them
who attacked the city of
Troy, starting the legendary
Trojan War.

13. Dark Ages
 Mycenaean society began to
fall apart in the 1200s BC
when invaders form the
north, swept into Greece.

At the same time, natural
disasters destroyed many
cities.
 With this civilization crumbling
and invaders taking
over, Greece slipped into a
period of warfare, disorder
and where few records exists.

This is called a “Dark Age”

14. Ask Yourselves

Summarize:


How did the Greek Peninsula´s geography shape the lives of the Greeks?
Analyze:



What kind of resources did the Greeks have at their disposal?
What do the Greek colonies have in common with each other?
Infer:



What kind of obstacle did the mountains of Greece pose for their people?
Why did Mycenaeans put such importance on building powerful fortresses?
Compare:


How was the decline of the Minoans and Mycenaeans similar?
Recall:

Where was the Minoan civilization located?

15. Bibliography
 MrDonn.org. (n.d.). Ancient Greece For Kids.
Retrieved 07 18, 2012, from MrDonn.org:
http://greece.mrdonn.org/
 Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Colony. Retrieved 07
22, 2012, from Dictionary:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/colony
 Clip Art by Phillip Martin
 Images taken from Google.com