Greece was known as the "Birthplace of Western Civilization because its culture became the epitome for the succeeding western civilizations. The tale of the ancient Greek civilization is a painful history of foreign supremacy. But their civilization was built on solid foundation and led by efficient leaders that created values and customs that are still being practiced and observed by modern societies. It is for this reason that the Greek civilization flourished, remembered, celebrated and accepted by the whole world. One factor that can be considered as an integral part of the development of Greek civilization is its geography. The geography of Greece had an overwhelming impact on its political, cultural, economic and social growth. The geographical …show more content…
The last and probably the most important geographical feature is the sea. Having been surrounded by three major bodies of water served as an advantage because it allowed early Greeks to travel and trade. The nearness of Greece to major trade routes allowed the prosperity in maritime commerce. The sea also made the people became fishers, sailors and merchants. They excelled in ship buildings and voyaging because of their knowledge about seas around them. In the Greco-Persian wars, the Greeks used the seas to their advantage. They build smaller more efficient ships to pass through narrow routes and they exhibited their skills as naval armies. Also, the seas allowed the Greeks to depend heavily on trade. The Greeks get what they could not grow through trading. The exchanged olive oil, wine, wool and pottery with grains and other natural resources, which had a limited supply during that time. Because of their proximity to the seas, fish became the Greeks ' staple food. Moreover, trade encouraged cultural diffusion. It enabled the exchange of ideas with other culture and the spread of Hellenistic culture. It also encouraged them to have further knowledge about different existing civilizations at that time. The Aegean Sea is actually divided into three parts, north central and south. In the old days, the Greek seamen gave the different parts of the Aegean Sea different names. The Ionian Sea stretches between the west coast of Greece and the coast of Southern Italy. The Ionian Sea has some of the deepest waters of the Mediterranean and in some parts, can reach a depth of 5,000 meters. The seas around Greece cut in and out of the shoreline creating an interesting lacework coastline with many large and small peninsulas, gulfs and caves. Because of this geographical morphology, Greece has the longest coastline in the Mediterranean. The proximity of the sea also shaped the Greek economy. Because the sea was so easily accessible and because overland trade was difficult, the
The geography of Athens was more favorable than that of any other Greek city-state. Athens was the largest of the Greek city-states and had the most fertile land. It was also situated near the Aegean Sea, so it was great for long-distance trading. Government of Arcania Arcania was born right after the Peloponnesian War in Sparta.
Askum traded with Zeila, Adulis and many more civilizations. Askum was in one of the best spots because it allowed several trade routes in major water ports where ships could enter making it so that they could import and export goods a lot easier than if they were on a land route. It is very similar to how ports today run, though today it would be a lot easier to get something from the inland to a ship on the coast because we have mail and other means of travel, back then they didn't have the sophisticated technology we have today, so they would have to use horses and other animals to get their trade to a boat or ship on the coast to trade with a country over the major waterways or sea. The major waterway the Askum had was the Red Sea. The Red Sea was connected the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.
Trade was important in Italy because it was in an ideal spot for trade being in the center of the Mediterranean Sea
Many of the roots of western civilization can be traced back to the ancient greeks They made long lasting contributions on the areas of art, architecture, philosophy, math, drama, and science. In this essay, it will be proven that the Greeks impacted western civilization (put more info) The ancient Greeks contributed many philosophical thoughts and ideas. In document 1, teacher and philosopher, Socrates says,” "The unexamined life is not worth living" we can interpret this by saying we must Look at our own life and examine it. We should realize how important life and the choices we make, and appreciate what we have and what will come.
Phoenician merchants were experts in trade. Upon arrival in a certain location, they would see what the people were after, and trade that. Each region had its specialty when it came to trade: Egypt had papyrus and linen, Persia had glass and precious minerals, Iberia had silver, etc. These merchants would act as the channel in which all of these goods would flow. Cross-cultural contacts were made possible by the Phoenicians, and their sphere of influence led to an increased dominance in the southern Mediterranean Sea.
The geography of Greece influenced the development of ancient Greek government and politics. When describing ancient Greece, “mountainous land” is the phrase one would use because Greece is made up of many mountains. Because of the mountains, it was difficult to commute from place to place. As a result of that, instead of Greece being ruled by one government, it formed many different poleis, which each had their own government Polis is the Greek word for independent city-states. Greeks had a strong connection with their polis, and they strongly identified with them.
The start of the period known as "Classical Greece" starts at around 800 B.C.E. and ends around 400 B.C.E. Classical Greece tells tales of Athens against Sparta, the Peloponnesian War. But that is only some of the events, as the achievements are a feat to behold. New branches of mathematics, such as geometry established new theorems, columns were prominently used in buildings of importance, and the first Olympics were first held to honor the gods and celebrate human achievement. The contributions of classical Greece are seen in Western civilization in the continuation of the Olympics, in the realistic depiction of subjects in various forms of art, in the development of medical ethics, in the architectural use of columns in the Western building
Cartledge notes that Sparta was not self-sufficient and needed to import iron, grain and other goods to sustain itself. This reliance on imports highlights the importance of trade for Sparta's economy. In order to maintain their military and way of life, the Spartans needed to trade with other regions to acquire the necessary resources. The expanse of Sparta's trade is further
1 The Persian War led to the Gold Age in Greek. Persia tried to invade Greek in 490 BC and 480 BC for twice, both of which were ended with the victory of Greek. Greece's victory ensured the independence and security of the Greek city-states, so that Greece continued to dominate the eastern Mediterranean for centuries, which is known as Gold Age. (Section 2.3) 2 As the culture center of Greek, Athens had many advantages during the Gold Age.
Every civilization throughout history has their ups and downs. What if these ups and downs could all be connected back to one main factor, to one influence? Throughout history, it can be noticed that the location of a civilization affects the shape of its culture, economy, trade, and security of its borders. It defines which societies rise to power and which lose power. Geography influences history in many ways, as can be seen in the Indus Valley, Greece, and Aksum civilizations.
There was a high demand for luxurious goods that were special to each region which caused a great increase in trade. This also occurred on the Trans-Saharan trade routes with gold. Religion also played a big factor in why trade was increasing in these two trade routes. Increases in technology helped trade become more efficient and faster. For example, the compass helped people trade along the Indian Ocean sea lanes.
Greeks became skilled people and traders. Retaining a plentitude of raw materials for construction. They built some of the most impressive structures in history. Mountains were a big thing but mostly a negative effect on this civilization for agriculture. The Seas were also a very big thing and had a great positive effect on this civilization for food and trading.
Athens, located in southern Greece, experienced an expansion in culture and education during the years between the Persian War and Peloponnesian War (477-431 BC) which set the stage for future expansions of culture in civilizations like Ancient Rome and Europe during the Renaissance. Although Athens was very prosperous, innovative and ruled by strong leaders during their Golden Age, they still didn’t have a perfect government or social structure which puts into question how successful this period actually was. 1st Paragraph (Outline) Pericles 's had great success in beautifying Athens and increasing its culture, through innovative art and architecture, as well advances in theater, which created a Golden Age because the people of Athens experienced
Basically, it’s imperative to point out the fact that the roots of Western civilization can be traced back to Mediterranean classical ancient times, as well as other parts of European predominantly occupied by the Greek. In this regard, the geography of Greece played an important role in the development of the Greek Civilization, for instance, “HIST 101 Western Civilization I.” (n.d) states, “Greece is an extremely mountainous, peninsula almost completely surrounded by water. It includes both a mainland and some 1400 outlying islands in the Mediterranean Sea.”
The Greco-Persian Wars, conducted between 499 and 449 BCE, were a series of conflicts between the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire. These wars had considerable consequences for both Greece and Persia, influencing the ordinary course of history in ancient times (Britannica, 2023). Among the different consequences of these wars, the most substantial result was the successful protection of Greece and the establishment of the concept of freedom and democracy versus the Persian assault during the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE. One of the most significant results of the Greco-Persian Wars was the safeguarding of Greek civilization.