Intro to Ancient Greece- Day 1

Tetradrachm

A silver coin from Athens, circa 430 B.C., equivalent to about 400 Canadian dollars in purchasing power.

Athena

The Greek goddess who gifted the olive tree to Athens, symbolizing prosperity and peace.

Poleis

The term for "city-state" in ancient Greece, where each major city functioned as its own independent country.

Disunity

The lack of unity among Greek city-states, often caused by geographical features like mountains.

Mediterranean Triad

The three main crops of ancient Greece:grain (barley and wheat), olives, and grapes.

Greek Colonization

The practice of city-states sending young men overseas to find new farmland, prevalent from the 700s to 500s B.C.

Olive Oil

A vital economic product in ancient Greece, used for cooking, lamp fuel, and ceremonial purposes.

Grape Processing

Grapes were primarily processed into wine, a significant economic product in various regions of Greece.

Climate Challenges

Greece's dry climate, with a rainy season from October to April, posed challenges for agriculture.

Natural Resources

Greece's mountains provided timber, limestone, marble, and some mineral wealth, influencing its economy and architecture.

Archaeology

The systematic study of the past through material remains, crucial for understanding ancient societies.

Pottery

A common archaeological find that provides insights into daily life, trade, and cultural interactions in ancient Greece.

Export Economy

A situation where the value of a region's exports exceeds that of its imports, exemplified by Athens in the 500s B.C.

Slavery in Trade

Greeks engaged in the export of slaves, particularly from regions like Phrygia and Thrace, during the 500s–400s B.C.

Bronze Age

A period marked by the use of bronze, leading to significant technological and societal changes in ancient civilizations.

Physical remains

material objects such as bones and buildings.

Written remains

words from the Greeks themselves or accounts from others who wrote about them.

Archaeologists

excavate, classify, and interpret material evidence such as buildings, tools, and artifacts.

Papyrologists and paleographers

decipher and elucidate texts written on papyrus and parchment

Epigraphists and numismatists

• interpret inscriptions on stones and coins

what were clay vessels used for

similar to modern bags, cartons, shipping crates, cooking pots, bottles, glasses, and fine china.

what were the gender roles like

Men worked in agriculture, while women primarily managed household tasks.