Greeks geographical significance

From Friday Jan 19

Geography/Significance
Greece is a mountainous peninsula mountains cover 3/4 of Greece.

Approximately 2000 islands in the Ionian and Aegean Seas.

This combination shaped Greece's culture. They had many skilled sailors, ship builders, farmers, metal workers, weavers, and potter's.

They had poor/limited natural resources, so they needed to trade.

It was difficult to unite the ancient Greeks because of the terrain (city-states) thats who they were loyal to.

Relative to ourselves and location

North Carolina: 53,818 mi
Greece: 50,949 mi
Pennsylvania: 46, 056 mi

small in size, HUGE in influence

Fertile valleys cover one quarter of the peninsula, only about 20% is arable (suitable for farming)
-Greek diet consists of grain, grapes, and olives
-Lack of resources led to colonization
-Back then, temperatures usually ranged from mid 40s in winter to low 80s - although it could get hot in the summer, it was pretty nice all year round.

First Mycenaeans

• Their influence began around 2,000 BCE
• Mycenae is located on a rocky ridge protected by a 20ft thick ball
• Mycenaean kings dominated Greece from 1600-1110 BCE
• Controlled trade in the region 
• 1400 BCE- Mycenaeans invaded crete and absorbed Minoan culture 

THE TROJAN WAR

• Greeks have fought in many wars over time 
• Trojan war was fought in the 12th or 13th century BCE
• Part of Greek mythology - until the 19th century most historians thought it was fictional
• The goddesses Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera were given the "apple of discord"
• Paris judged Aphrodite "the fairest"
• Aphrodite made Helen (who was married) fall in love with Paris, who took her back to Troy.
• The mythological part was probably fake, but there was a real Trojan war.

Mycenae was at one point one of the strongest city-states (they had a 20ft thick wall) Mycenaeans learned sea trade from Minoans. Dorians ruined Greek culture due to the fact that they were MUCH less advanced