The Geography and Early Settlement of Ancient Greece

Greek colonies were located in

Asia Minor (Turkey), Spain, France, Italy, Africa, and along the coast of the Black Sea.

Why did the ancient Greek colonies trade?

Greek settlements traded to get the goods they needed.

Greeks exported

Olive oil and pottery from the Greek mainland

When did the Greeks establish most of their colonies?

The Greeks established colonies over a period of 300 years, from 1000 to 650 B.C.E.

What steps did the ancient Greeks take before settling new colonies.

The ancient Greeks consulted an oracle to see whether their efforts would be successful. Then they gathered food and supplies, took a flame from the town's sacred fire, and began their long sea voyages. Finally, after finding a safe place with good farmland and natural harbors, they established their colony.

Some Greek settlements fought each other

because of the shortage of good land.

Greeks imported

grain, timber, and metal to the Greek mainland.

Ancient Greek communities were isolated from each other by

mountains, which made travel and communication difficult.

The ancient Greeks mostly settled

on the coast near the seas.

The ancient Greeks started colonies primarily because

they needed more farmland to raise enough crops to feed their people.

Identify two or more challenges merchant ships faced.

• Merchant ships were built not for speed but for carrying large amounts of goods. Journeys were long, and a one-way trip from the mainland could take two months. • The lack of compasses or charts made navigation difficult.

How Farmers Met Challenges:

• Some farmers built wide earth steps into the hills to create more flat land for farming. • Most farmers grew crops like grapes and olives, which needed less land. • Farmers planted hillside orchards of fruit and nut trees. • Greek farmers raised sheep and goats, which can graze on the sides of mountains.

Challenges to Greek Farmers:

• The land in ancient Greece was mostly mountainous. • Even in the plains and valleys, the land was rocky, and water was scarce. • The rainy season was mostly during the winter months. • No major rivers flowed through Greece.