• Crucible: a vessel made of material that does not melt easily; used for high temperature chemical reactions
• greeks invented a new government
• democracy

Geograhpy of Greece

• Mountainous peninsula
• mountains cover 3/4 of greece
• thats why they are seprate from each other.
• approximately 1400 islands in the Aegean and Ionian seas
• never more than 70 miles from the coastline
• expert rowers
• maintained great navys
• know there way around the sea
• Poor natural resources
• only 20% of greece is suitable for farming
• fertile valleys cover 1/4 of peninsua
• lack of resources most likely led to greek colonization
• diet consisted of grains, grapes, olives
• made soap out of olives
• don't grow everywhere
• used for cooking
• traded it
• good for health and economy
• Location shaped its culture
• difficult to unite the ancient greeks because of the terrain; developed small, independent communities
• temperatures range from 48 in the winter to 80 in the summer

Mycenaeans

• began around 2000 bc
• mycenae is located on a rocky ridge and protexted by a 20 ft. thick wall
• mycenaean kings dominated greece from 1600-1200 bc
• controlled trade in the region
• 1400 bc myceneans invaded Crete and absorbed Minoan culture and language

Culture in Decline

• around 1200 bc sea people began to invade Mycenae and burnt palace after palace
• the Dorians moved into the war-torn region
• far less advanced
• economy collapsed
• writing disappeared for 400 years

Homer and Myths

• Only stories were kept and passed on by word of mouth
• homer lived at the end of the "greek dark ages"
• recorded stories of the Trojan War in The IIiad and The Odyssey (written 750-700 b.c.)
• Trojan war was probably one of the last conquests of the Mycenaeans
• homer was
• blind
• poor

Greek Concepts

• arete
• virute and excellence
• do things the best you can
• epics
• narrative poems celebrating heroic deeds
• ties in with arete
• myths were created to explain creation
• Zeus: leader of the Gods
• Hera: Zeus' wife
• Athena: goddess of wisdom