Ancient Greece was a peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea around the size of Louisiana. It had a mountainous geography which led Greek city-states to develop independently and often fight each other. The Greeks invented many technologies like naval ships, aqueducts, cranes, and siege weapons out of necessity. Athens was a direct democracy where male citizens could vote on policies, though most of Greece was ruled by monarchs or oligarchies. Alexander the Great spread Greek culture and ideas throughout Asia after conquering the Persian Empire.