1. Geography &
Early People
of Greece

2. Geography
 Mountains
¾ of Greek mainland
 protected and isolated
 limited contact between
communities
 effect: Greece never unites w/ one
govt so it helped and hindered the
development of city-states


4. Geography

Natural harbors
 no place more than 50
miles from the coast
 effect: many make living
from the seas

5. Geography
Limited arable land
 effect: some farming, but
Greeks will look for more
land
 Mild climate
 effect: people spend time
outside and socialize


6. Economic
Development
 Commerce
and the
spread of Hellenic
culture
 Shift from barter to
money economy (coins)

7. Political
Development
 Greek
cities were designed
to promote civic and
commercial life
 Colonization was prompted
by overpopulation and the
search for arable land

8. Minoans
lived on Crete, traded in
Mediterranean region
 known for labyrinth
palace at Knossos
 frescoes show scenes of
Minoan life and religion


9. Minoan fresco

10. Minoan fresco

11. Minoan fresco

12. Mycenaeans

Indo-Europeans from
central Asia
 intermarried w/ native
Hellenes on mainland
Greece
 set up kingdoms around
hilltop fortresses

13. Mycenaeans
adopted Minoan customs
 said to have fought in
legendary Trojan War
 Heinrich Schliemann –
German archaeologist who
discovered Troy


14. Trojan Horse

15. Dorians
invaded Greece from
the north
 Mycenaeans weakened
by infighting
 Dorians easily won using
iron weapons


16. Dorians
Dorian period known as
a “dark age”
 refugees fled to Ionia
(west coast of Asia Minor)
 Ionians gradually come
back, reintroduce culture
