Florent Lefortier answered
Just like any civilization, ancient Greece was shaped pretty significantly by its geography and climate.
Greece As A Peninsula
Greece is a peninsula – that’s a piece of land surrounded on three sides by water. Because of this, the sea was a hugely significant part of ancient Greek life.
The Greeks used the sea for food – fishing was really big back then – and for trade. One of the reasons that the Greek empire was so big was because of its power as a trading nation, and without so many ports, this would have been impossible.
Greece As A Source Of Precious Metals
There are lots of mountains in Greece. Mountains, being made of rock, are great sources of precious metals and minerals.
Gold, silver, copper and lead were the most heavily-mined resources in ancient Greece, and were used to make armor, weapons, jewelry and coins.
The metals were also really important to Greek trade. The Greeks had plenty of places to trade from, and plenty of things to trade – no wonder they did so well for themselves!
Greek Climate
The hot weather and proximity to the sea meant that some parts of Greece were perfect for growing crops. Some areas were dry and barren, but these areas weren’t as populated. The people who did live here were able to bring food in from elsewhere in the country, so even that wasn’t a disaster.
The ancient Greeks grew lots of grapes (used to make wine) and olives, as well as crops such as barley and wheat. Animals like goats coped pretty well with the climate, so they would have been kept for food, too.
Greece As A Peninsula
Greece is a peninsula – that’s a piece of land surrounded on three sides by water. Because of this, the sea was a hugely significant part of ancient Greek life.
The Greeks used the sea for food – fishing was really big back then – and for trade. One of the reasons that the Greek empire was so big was because of its power as a trading nation, and without so many ports, this would have been impossible.
Greece As A Source Of Precious Metals
There are lots of mountains in Greece. Mountains, being made of rock, are great sources of precious metals and minerals.
Gold, silver, copper and lead were the most heavily-mined resources in ancient Greece, and were used to make armor, weapons, jewelry and coins.
The metals were also really important to Greek trade. The Greeks had plenty of places to trade from, and plenty of things to trade – no wonder they did so well for themselves!
Greek Climate
The hot weather and proximity to the sea meant that some parts of Greece were perfect for growing crops. Some areas were dry and barren, but these areas weren’t as populated. The people who did live here were able to bring food in from elsewhere in the country, so even that wasn’t a disaster.
The ancient Greeks grew lots of grapes (used to make wine) and olives, as well as crops such as barley and wheat. Animals like goats coped pretty well with the climate, so they would have been kept for food, too.
