Greece Web Quest

Geography

The peninsula of ancient Greece had a blistering climate. It’s summers were hot and dry. Temperatures averaged about 75 degrees in summer. The Mediterranean waters and a northwesterly breeze kept temperatures at a comfortable level.

In the winter, temperatures again were changed by the surrounding waters. Typically temperatures did not go below 40 degrees with advantage of the high mountains.

The surrounding land of ancient Greece was divided into the coast, the lowlands, and the mountains. The rocky soil on the peninsula of ancient Greece allowed for a small amount of land to be farmed, so the Greeks depend heavily on imports of grains and other foods from other regions around the Mediterranean Sea.

The average yearly rainfall ranged from twenty to fifty inches, with the majority coming during the winter months. Greece typically experienced a large amount of sunny days during the year.

Culture

Greek TheaterTheater performances became a part of the religious festival to Dionysus. The god of wine.

The theatrical events became so big that they had been moved to an open-air auditorium. Open-air auditoriums were built the most in Greek cities, some holding as many as 15,000 spectators.

The festival lasted five days and had as many as three full performances performed in one day. The dramas were promoted by rich citizens.

Three types of plays were developed in ancient Greece: the tragedy, the comedy, and the satire.

A tragedy was about Greek heroes and gods. The plots often showed conflicts between men and gods, and the endings were usually bad for the main characters.

Comedies were mostly politically-based stories, or they featured conflicts between men and women. They were meant to be silly and enjoyable.

Satires were often smart, cutting, and ironic stories that were similar to human vice and folly.

Culture

Greek AstronomyThe Greeks founded several important discoveries in astronomy. Aristarchus of

Samos was the first to suggest that the earth revolved on an axis and moved around the sun. His ideas were not accepted until Copernicus further developed the theory.

Another scientist, Hipparches believed the earth was the center of the universe. He also discovered the constants of the equinoxes and the length of the year.

The Greek philosopher Anaxagoras discovered that the moon reflected the suns rays, instead of producing light itself. He discovered the cause of eclipses.

Thales of Miletus, was able to predict when a solar eclipse would happen. Although scholars believe his prediction was a one-time event and was only approximate, the alleged feat added to his reputation as an astronomer

Spartan Government

Sparta was ruled by two kings. These kings would lead the army in times of war.

In addition to the kings, there were five magistrates that were elected from aristocratic families.

Sparta also had a council that created laws. The council was made up of the two kings and twenty-eight elders. The elders had to be sixty years old or older to qualify for the position. These leaders took the laws to an assembly made up of citizens for an up-or-down vote without talking about it or changing anything.

The only way to become a citizen of Sparta was to be a relative of the original Doric invaders who settled the city. This requirement caused the number of citizens usually to not exceed six or seven thousand at any time. Non-citizens outnumbered citizens, but they were kept in check by the strong military that the Spartan government had created.

Athenian Democracy

The Athenian government was a direct democracy. The assembly had to have at least 6,000 citizens in count of. If not enough citizens showed up, 300 specially trained slaves would go through the town with a rope dipped with red paint. Anyone hit by the paint had to pay a fine for not doing his civic duty.

The assembly met several times a month. They had a wide range of powers including declaring war, appointing generals, and deciding troop strengths and the amount of naval boats to be committed to a battle. The assembly granted citizenship, decided on foreign policy, and spent money on public projects.