Essential Question:
What role did geography play in the
development of classical Greece?
Warm-Up Question:
What do you think of when I say
Greece?
After the river valley era, a number
of classical civilizations developed
in the Mediterranean and in Asia
The first major
classical civilization
was ancient Greece
Classic cultures created high levels of achievement in
art, science, & technology that impacted future ages
Impact of Geography on Greece:
Identify 1 geographic feature & propose
how it might impact the culture of Greece
Impact of Geography on Greece:
Identify 1 geographic feature & propose
how it might impact the culture of Greece
Greeces lack of natural resources & location
on the Mediterranean Sea encouraged
Greek trade with neighboring societies
Mountains covered about 75% of Greece
which divided the people & made unifying
the Greek people nearly impossible
The Greeks
developed
independent
city-states,
called polis,
within each
valley & its
surrounding
mountains
Greek Culture
Despite their lack of unity,
the Greeks shared some
common characteristics:
Greeks shared the same
language
Greek writing was
influenced by the
Phoenician alphabet &
became the basis for Latin
Greeks were polytheistic & believed that the
gods were immortal but had human qualities;
Religion became the basis for Greek mythology
Zeus
King of the gods
Athena
Goddess of wisdom
Aphrodite
Goddess of love
Apollo
God of sun & music
Ares
God of war
Hades
God of underworld
Hera
Goddess of family
Poseidon
God of the seas
Most Greek city-states had an agora that was
the center for trade & government
City-states had an
acropolis, a temple on
a hill dedicated to a
sacred god
Differences Among Greek City-States
Despite similar
language &
religion, the
Greek polis were
very different
from each other,
especially
how they were
governed
Differences Among Greek City-States
Some polis had a
monarchy, a govt
ruled by a king
Differences Among Greek City-States
Some polis had an
aristocracy, a govt
ruled by elite nobles
Practiced in Corinth
Differences Among Greek City-States
Some polis like Sparta
had an oligarchy, a
govt ruled by a small
group of citizens
Differences Among Greek City-States
Some polis like Athens
had a direct democracy,
a govt ruled by citizens
who vote on decisions
The Greek city-states Athens & Sparta
represented the differences among polis
Athenian society
focused on wealth
& culture:
Athens had a
direct democracy
in which both
rich & poor
citizens could
vote & hold
public office
Athenian society focused on wealth & culture
Architects built the Parthenon
to honor the goddess Athena
Athenian society focused on wealth & culture
Artists created Theater had both
realistic sculptures comedies & tragedies
Athenian society focused on wealth & culture
Philosophers Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle
questioned assumptions & the use of logic
to find answers to questions
The Greek city-states Athens & Sparta
represented the differences among polis
Spartan society focused
on military strength,
not freedom & learning
Spartan men served
in the military until
60 years old
Boys began military
training at age 7
Women ran family
estates while men
trained or fought
Spartans showed their strength during
the Persian Wars
Athens & Sparta competed for influence in
Greece & developed a strong rivalry that
eventually led to the Peloponnesian War
Sparta defeated
Athens, but the war
weakened the Greeks
Closure Activity
Where would you rather live:
Athens or Sparta? Why?
