Ancient Greece Study Set: Long and Short Answers

In general, what is the terrain/landscape of Greece? What kinds of landforms are found there?

Greece has lots of mountains and islands. It does not have major rivers. Most of Greece's land is infertile.

Where is Greece located? Describe Greece's relative location in relation to specific landforms.

Greece is located in southern Europe close to Asia Minor. Greece is southwest of the Adriatic Sea, west of the Aegean Sea, east of the Ionian Sea, and on the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula.

Name the peninsula in Europe that had Greek colonies that were farthest away from mainland Greece?

Iberian Peninsula (Spain)

When the ancient Greeks established settlements in other countries, they came into contact with people from other cultures. How might have this affected the history of ancient Greece?

It would give them new ideas about culture, religion, technology, and how to live. It would increase trade and variety of food.

Most of the Greek islands lie between Greek Mainland and Asia Minor (present day Turkey). Would this fact have made travel to Asia Minor easier or more difficult?

It would make travel harder because you would have to avoid all of the islands. It would make travel easier because you could stop to rest and restock supplies along the way.

What were the means of transportation for ancient Greeks?

Land travel was with carts pulled by oxen or mules. Wealthier Greeks rode horses. Sea travel was easier but still dangerous.

What were three ways Greek farmers met the challenges of farming in Greece?

1. Built wide earth steps in the hills to create flat farming land. 2. Grew crops that need less land (grapes and olives). Many farmers planted hillside orchards of fruit and nut trees. 3. Raised sheep and goats because they needed less land to graze, unlike cattle.

What were three challenges faced by Greek farmers?

1. There were no major rivers. 2. There was limited farmland (many mountains/hills) 3. There was little water

Why did some Greek settlements fight each other?

Because of shortage of good farmland.

What was the primary reason ancient Greeks started colonies?

Because they needed farmland to raise enough crops to feed growing population.

On which continent is ancient Greece located?

Europe

On which continents did the ancient Greeks establish settlements?

Europe, Africa, and Asia

In what direction would you travel to get from Ancient Greece to Egypt?

South (Across Mediterranean Sea)

Why was the sea important to Ancient Greeks? How did they use the sea?

The Greeks learned to build ships and traveled by sea. They used the sea for its resources like fishing. They also traded over the sea and came into contact with other civilizations where they learned new ideas and learned about new foods. They had to navigate the seas using stars because they didn't have compasses or charts. They did NOT use the sea to water their crops or to get drinking water.

How did the seas surrounding Ancient Greece influence its development?

There are inlets and bays that are protected so Greeks participated in ship building, fishing and travel by sea.

What goods did the Greeks trade from the mainland?

They exported olive oil and pottery.

The Greeks did not have much level for farming or grazing cattle. How did they meet this challenge?

They grew olives, grapes, fruit trees, and nut trees. (They traded for other food and set up colonies) They raised goats and sheep because they could graze on steep land.

What did the Ancient Greeks grow and what kinds of animals did they raise? Why did they grow and raise these plants and animals instead of others?

They grew plants that could easily grow on hillsides and that didn't require a lot of water. Some of the plants they grew included grapes, olives, and nut trees. They raised sheep and goats because these animals could graze on hillsides and didn't need flat land like cattle.

What goods did the Greeks bring into the mainland through trade?

They imported grain, timber, and metal.

As the population of ancient Greek communities increased, some communities did not have enough farmland to produce enough food for the population. What did ancient Greeks do to solve this problem?

They started trading with colonies where they could grow food and send it back to Greece.

Why were ancient Greek communities isolated from each other?

They were isolated by mountains which made travel and communication hard.

Why were Ancient Greece's villages isolated from each other and why did they often fight each other?

They were often separated by seas and mountains and it was really hard to travel over mountains to get to each other. They sometimes fought over farmland because there was so little flat farmland in Greece and they needed food for their growing communities.