A. Analyzing Causes and Recognizing Effects As you read this section, make notes in the chart to explain how each geographic characteristic or historical event influenced the history and culture of early Greek civilization. History and Culture1. Location “around” a sea Greeks rarely traveled more than 85 miles to reach the coastline. Greeks had important transportation routes Greece was poor in natural resources2. Rugged mountains Rugged mountains covered three-fourths of ancient Greece.
Mountains divided the land into a number of different regions Mountains Influenced Greek political life.3. Little fertile farmland Fertile valleys covered one-fourth of Greece Greece was never able to support a large population Greece based their diet on staple crops4. Moderate climate Third important environmental influence on Greek civilization Greece has a varied climate Moderate temperatures supported an outdoor life for many Greek citizens5.
Mycenaean adaptation of Minoan culture The Minoan civilization had flourished on Crete for 600 years. The Mycenaean preserved elements of Minoan culture by making it part of their own lives. Mycenaean adapted the Minoan writing system to the Greek Language.6. The Trojan War Mycenaean kings fought a ten-year war with Troy Trojan war was a struggle for control of a crucial waterway in the Aegean Sea Attack on Troy was probably one of the last campaigns of the Mycenaenan7.
The collapse of Mycenaean civilization Sea raiders attacked the Mycenaean civilization palace after palace. A new group of people moved into this war-torn countryside. Greeks appear to have temporarily forgotten the art of writing during the Dorian Age.B. Determining Main Ideas On the back of this paper, explain the significance of myths and the epics of Homer in ancient Greek culture.
Myths are traditional stories about the Greek gods that explained the changing of seasons, the reason the sun comes up, the reason why it isn’t light outside 24hours of a day, and why the temperature changes. Greeks Attributed human qualities to their gods. The gods fight with each other often like regular human beings.
