Transcript Ancient Greece - AlexisWprojectnotes

Ancient Greece
By: Alexis Wright
Geography
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The geography of ancient Greece was divided
into three regions : the coast, the lowlands, and
the mountains. Typically, temperatures did not
go below 40 degrees Fahrenheit with the
exception of the high mountains.
The climate was hot and dry ; rain was limited in
the winter months.
Greece was rocky and barren, which made it bad
for agriculture.
Geography
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With a shortage of land for farming , the
Greeks relied on trading with other places
around the Mediterranean for food, building
supplies, and other goods.
Central Greece has more mountains than
Northern Greece.
The rocky and uneven soil on the peninsula of
Greece allowed for less than 20% of the land to
be farmed.
Geography
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Most Greeks lived along the coast, where the
soil was mostly good for farming.
The ocean was a gigantic source of land because
the Greeks used it for fishing.
The mountainous terrain made land travel
difficult. With no rivers that could be used for
boats (because they would dry up in the summer
and overflow in the winter), transportation on
the sea was very important for the Greeks.
Geography
Government
Greece was not yet one country so there was no
central form of government in Ancient Greece.
Each city-state had it’s own form of
government. There were four forms of
government; Monarchy, Oligarchy, Tyranny, and
Democracy. All of these governments were
ruled by men.
Government
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Monarchy is rule by a
king. Corinth was a
monarchy. The king had
many advisors. Together,
Corinth’s government
solved many problems.
Tyranny was rule by a
dictator. A dictator is one
person who made all the
rules and enforced them
with threats.
Government
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Oligarchy is rule by a
small group of people.
Sparta was an oligarchy.
It was ruled by two kings,
five ephods, a council of
twenty-eight elders, and a
group of citizens.
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Democracy was rule by
a citizens, which included
voting in an assembly.
Democracy was spilt into
two different categories;
Direct Democracy and
Representative
Democracy.
Government
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Direct Democracy was a government in which
people voted to make their own rules and laws.
For example Athens was a Direct Democracy.
Representative Democracy was a government in
which people voted for representatives. The
representatives make the rules and laws that
govern themselves and the people.
Religion
The Greeks were polytheistic in their religious
beliefs. Polytheistic means they believed in and
worshiped many gods. In Greek mythology
(religion), the gods represented different forms
of nature. Their religion had no formal structure
with the exception of various festivals held to
honor the gods. Festivals were a very important
part of worshipping the gods. They usually
included a procession and a sacrifice.
Religion
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The ancient Greeks built
many great temples to
their gods. They built
temples in about every
town for one god or
goddess. These temples
were not like modern
places of worship for
ordinary people to pray
in. They were homes for
statues of gods.
The God Zeus
Religion
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The priest cared for the temples and statues of
the gods. Priests were important people in the
community. They were believed to have the
power to talk to the gods and so were respected
and trusted. There were only to ways to become
a priest. One was your mother or father was a
priest; or, two you were made priest by a dying
priest. A priest’s main job was to look after the
temple.
Religion
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The Greeks believed that the twelve most
important gods and goddess lived at the top of
Mount Olympus. They were a family and, just
like a human family, they argued and looked
after one another. Mount Olympus, in northern
Greece, is the highest mountain in the country.
It was believed to be the home of the gods,
because it was often so cloudy and no one could
see its summit.
Food
The Greek diet was very healthy. Food in
ancient Greece contained, grains, wheat, barely,
fruits, vegetables, breads, and cakes. The ancient
Greeks grew olives, grapes, figs, and wheat. They
also kept goats, for milk and cheese. They ate a
lot of bread, beans, and olives.
Food
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The soil by the sea was not as rich as on the plains, so
the Greeks used irrigation and crop rotation to keep the
soil relatively fertile.
In some larger Greek city states, meat could be
purchased in cook shops. However, meat was rarely
eaten, as the Greeks felt that just killing and eating a
domesticated animal (goats) was wrong. The Greeks
would often sacrifice the meat to the gods first and
then might eat some of the meat.
Food
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Breakfast was eaten just
after sunrise and
contained bread dipped
in wine.
Lunch was also bread
dipped in wine, with figs,
olives, cheese, or dried
fish.
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Supper started around
sunset and consisted of
veggies, fruits, fish, and
possibly honey cake.
Sugar was unknown to
Greeks, so they used
honey as sweetner.
Food
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In the summer months,
there were plenty of
fresh fruits and veggies
to eat. In the winter they
ate dried fruit and food
they had stored like
apples.
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Fish was the main source
of protein in the Greek
diet. It was easy for the
Greeks to get fish
because they were near
water.
Food
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Wine was the main drink
in ancient Greece. It was
watered down; to drink it
straight was very
unsophisticated. Milk
was rarely drunk,
because it too, was
unsophisticated. Milk
was used for cheese.
Water was also a possible
choice as a drink.
Food
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The Greeks did not have
any eating utensils, so
they ate with their hands.
Bread was often used to
scoop out thick soups.
Bread was also used as a
napkin, it was thrown on
the floor for dogs or
slaves to pick up.
Men, Women, And Children
Men had the biggest role for the most part in
public life in ancient Greece. They ran politics
and public events, while women were often
encouraged to stay home.
Men
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When men entertained,
their wives were not
invited to the dinner.
The Olympic games
were for men only, while
in another part of
Olympia, the women had
a very small event in
Hera’s honor.
Women
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Women in most ancient
Greek city-states had
very few rights.
They were under the
control and protection
of their father, husband,
or a male relative for
their whole lives.
Women had no role in
politics.
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Women that were
wealthy did little or no
work. They stayed
indoors running their
house holds. The only
important job they could
have was being a priest.
In Athens, pale skin
showed that a women
was wealthy enough to
stay indoors.
Women
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Also in Athens, only very
poor women were found
outside without a male
escorting her.
Sheltering women was
not as common in other
Greek city-states.
Women
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For example in Sparta,
women had much more
freedom and a larger role
in society, but were still
not as powerful as men.
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Spartan women didn’t
have any restrictions, so
they had more freedom
and responsibilities. They
were able to go out in
public alone, participate
in events and inherit
land. In the fourth
century, over two fifths
of the land in Sparta was
owned by women.
Children
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Babies born in ancient Greece often had a hard
time surviving. Many died in the first few days
after they were born so, babies didn’t receive
names until the 10th day of life.
If a baby was deformed, it might be abandoned
on a mountain. Sometimes abandoned babies
were rescued and brought up as slaves by
another family.
Children
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In some Greek cities, children were wrapped up
in cloths until they were about two years old to
insure straight, strong, and healthy limbs.
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Other Greek city-states such as Sparta, did not
do this to children. Children spent most of their
time with their mother in the women’s part of
the house.
Children
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Girls would receive their
whole education and
house training in their
homes with their
mothers.
Girls reached puberty at
age twelve or thirteen.
At this time they were
considered adults and
could be married.
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Girls took their
childhood toys and
stuffed animals and left
them at the temple of
Artemis. This
demonstrated that their
childhood was over and
they were becoming
adults.
Children
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After marrying, the
women were expected to
have a baby. Not being
able to have children was
considered a curse from
the gods.
Children
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Boys might learn their
father’s trade or go to
schools around the age
of seven.
In Sparta, seven year old
boys were taken to
barracks by the city and
raised there. They were
trained in the military
and not allowed to leave
until they were thirty.
Children
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In other city states, at the
age of eighteen, boys
were required to join the
army.
Many city states required
males to participate in
politics at the age of
thirty.