THE ANCIENT GREEKS

Question

LESSON 1 RISE OF GREEK CIVILIZATION

Mountains and Seas

Greece is a peninsula. This means that it is surrounded by water on three sides. There are also many islands that are part of Greece. Ancient people traded among the islands and along the coastline. Many fished for a living. The land on the Greek peninsula has many mountains. On the plains between the mountains, farmers raised crops and sheep and goats. The sea and mountains greatly influenced how ancient Greek culture developed.

An Island Civilization

Another civilization developed on one of the islands off the coast of southern Greece. That island is Crete. About 1900 a British archaeologist named Arthur Evans found items from this civilization.

The place he discovered on Crete is called Knossos.

● He dug up remains of an amazing palace.

● The palace had many rooms that stored food.

● Other rooms were workshops where people made jewelry and vases.

● An ancient people called the Minoans built the palace.

Trade was an important economic activity for the Minoans. They traded pottery and vases for ivory and metals in Egypt and Syria. Sometime around 1450 B.C. the Minoan civilization ended. Historians do not know why.

A Mainland Civilization

Another early civilization in the area was the Mycenaean civilization. They lived in Greece from about 2000 B.C. to 1100 B.C.

Little was known about the Mycenaeans until the late 1800s. That was when a German archaeologist named Heinrich Schliemann found the remains of a palace. The palace was on the Greek mainland in a place called Mycenae.

In the Mycenaean civilization, each king lived in a palace built on a hill. Nobles lived outside the walls on large farms called estates. Enslaved people and other workers lived in villages on the estates. The palaces were centers of government. Workshops were housed there too. People made clothes and jars for wine and olive oil. Other workers made metal swords and leather shields.

By the mid-1400s B.C., the Mycenaeans grew. They built a strong military and fought in the Trojan War. The Mycenaeans conquered the Minoans and controlled the entire Agean Sea region. Later the many Mycenaean kings fought one another. Earthquakes destroyed their palaces. By 1100 B.C. the civilization had crumbled.





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A group called the Dorians invaded the Greek mainland. Historians call the following 300 years a Dark Age. Trade slowed down. People made fewer things to sell. Farmers grew enough food only for their families. As the Dorians continued to push into Greece, people fled to other areas. They took Greek culture with them.

Finally, by 750 B.C., the difficult time started to end. Small communities formed on the Greek mainland. They were independent and ruled by kings. The people of these communities called themselves Greeks.

Greek farmers grew more food than they could use. Trade increased, so the Greeks needed a system of writing to record their trade. They adopted or used an alphabet from the Phoenicians.

The Greek alphabet made reading and writing easier for the Greeks. Soon bards, or storytellers, were writing down old stories. Until then, the stories had been told out loud.

Colonies and Trade

The population increased in Greece when the Dark Age ended. By 700 B.C. farmers could not grow enough food for all of the people. Greek communities started to send people outside the area to form colonies. A colony is a settlement in a new territory with close ties to its homeland. Greek people started colonies along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.

The colonies shipped grains, metals, timber, and enslaved people to "parent" cities in Greece. In return, the cities shipped wine, olive oil, and pottery to the colonies.

In the 700s B.C., the Greeks started to make coins from metals to make trading easier. A coin is small and can be traded for many different types of goods. This makes it convenient to carry and use. Trade increased and made the Greek colonies wealthier.

The Greek City-State

The polis, or city-state, was the basic political unit in early Greece. At the center of each polis was a fort built on a hilltop. This fort was called an acropolis. The open area outside the acropolis was called the agora. This space was used as a marketplace. People gathered in the agora and debated issues, passed laws, and chose officials.

Each polis was governed by its own citizens. The Greeks developed the modern idea of citizenship. In early Greece, only males who had been born in the polis and owned land were citizens. They had the right to vote, hold public office, and defend themselves in court. Their responsibilities included serving in government and fighting to defend their polis. Women and children, however, had no political rights.

Citizens fought to defend their city-state. These citizen soldiers were called hoplites. They fought on foot. Each was armed with a round shield, a short sword, and a spear. When fighting, the hoplites would march shoulder to shoulder into battle. This formation was called a phalanx.

Text BoxThe polis gave Greek citizens a sense of belonging. However, strong loyalty to their individual city-states also divided Greece. This lack of unity weakened Greece and made it easier for outsiders to conquer Greece.





READING CHECK

How did seas influence the way many ancient Greeks lived?

MARKING THE TEXT

2. Circle the word that means “the system in a country that includes making, buying and selling goods.”

READING CHECK

3. What did the discovery at Knossos reveal about the Minoans?

EXPLAINING

4. Why were the Mycenaean palaces important places?

IDENTIFYING

5. Name two things the Mycenaeans learned from the Minoans.

LISTING

6. List words and short phrases to answer the question for each.

You can find the answers in the Island Civilization & Mainland Civilization section.

What Mycenaeans Adopted from Minoans



Island Civilization

Mainland Civilization

What do excavations reveal?

























READING CHECK

7. How did the Dorian invasion help spread Greek culture.

READING CHECK

8. How did the colonies affect trade and industry in the Greek world?

EXPLAINING

9. Why were coins invented?

READING CHECK

10. What were the rights and responsibilities of Greek citizens?

11. List and describe the city-states in Greece.

Draw and label a diagram of a typical city-state.

Answer 1

READING CHECK

1. How did seas influence the way many ancient Greeks lived? The seas provided trade routes and resources, allowing ancient Greeks to engage in fishing, trade among islands, and trade with other civilizations. They developed maritime skills and relied on the sea for economic and social interactions.

MARKING THE TEXT

2. Circle the word that means “the system in a country that includes making, buying and selling goods.” Economy

READING CHECK

3. What did the discovery at Knossos reveal about the Minoans?
   The discovery at Knossos revealed that the Minoans had a complex and advanced society with a significant focus on trade, as showcased by their impressive palace featuring storage rooms for food, workshops for crafting jewelry and pottery, and evidence of economic activity.

EXPLAINING

4. Why were the Mycenaean palaces important places?
   The Mycenaean palaces were important because they served as centers of government and administration. They housed workshops for producing goods, managed the collection of taxes, and provided a stronghold for the king and his nobility.

IDENTIFYING

5. Name two things the Mycenaeans learned from the Minoans.
   • The Mycenaeans learned advanced trade practices and skilled craftsmanship, as seen in pottery and metalwork.
   • They also adopted aspects of Minoan culture, including architectural styles and possibly some religious practices.

LISTING

6. What Mycenaeans Adopted from Minoans:
   • Island Civilization:
     • Advanced trade systems.
     • Complex social structures.
   • Mainland Civilization:
     • Architectural styles (palace structures).
     • Pottery and artistic techniques.

What do excavations reveal?

Excavations reveal the existence of sophisticated societies with complex economies, trade networks, and cultural practices. They highlight the Minoans' contributions to art, architecture, and trade, as well as the organizational structure of the Mycenaean civilization.

READING CHECK

7. How did the Dorian invasion help spread Greek culture?
   The Dorian invasion forced some Greeks to flee to other areas, and in doing so, they took their culture, language, and traditions with them, thus spreading Greek cultural influences to new regions.

READING CHECK

8. How did the colonies affect trade and industry in the Greek world?
   The establishment of colonies increased trade by enabling the exchange of goods. Colonies exported resources like grains and metals back to Greece while importing wine, olive oil, and pottery, thus boosting the economy and commerce in the Greek world.

EXPLAINING

9. Why were coins invented?
   Coins were invented to facilitate trade, making transactions easier and more efficient, as they provided a standardized and portable medium of exchange, replacing the barter system.

READING CHECK

10. What were the rights and responsibilities of Greek citizens?
    Rights included the ability to vote, hold public office, and defend themselves in court. Responsibilities included serving in government roles and defending the polis, especially in times of war.

11. List and describe the city-states in Greece.

• Athens: Known for its emphasis on arts, philosophy, and democracy.
• Sparta: A militaristic society focused on discipline and training, known for its strong army.
• Corinth: A major trade hub due to its strategic location, known for its wealthy merchants.
• Thebes: Known for its military power and as a rival city to Sparta and Athens.

Diagram of a Typical City-State

(You may want to draw a simple structure here)

1. Acropolis: Central hilltop fort for protection and a place for temples.
2. Agora: Open space for markets, public debates, and gatherings.
3. Residential Areas: Homes where citizens lived, located around the agora.
4. Workshop Areas: Spaces for craftsmen and artisans to create goods.
5. Surrounding Walls: Defense structures to protect against invasions.

Label each part clearly on your diagram to illustrate the layout of a typical Greek city-state.