CLAS201 Lecture 5: Week 1-4

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: CLAS201
• Professor: Ronald Kroeker

Document Summary

Around the mediterranean: cyrene, massilia, emporion, aucratis. Topography: rugged 5% of greece is mountainous. Implications: poverty: greeks tended to be economically poor since ancient economies were based mainly on agriculture, polis. Culture: greek states were small and independent (at least ideally) perhaps b/c divided into small geographical units (incl. islands): the sea: communication by land was difficult so they turned to the sea. Agriculture: mediterranean triad: grain (wheat, barley, oats), olives (esp. for oil) and wine, but also ate meat (cattle, sheep, goats), fish, legumes and nuts, used horses for war and travel, oxen for power. Purposes: trade (little resources; need to go overseas for raw material, esp copper and tin for making bronze), expansion, empire. Semi arid with long, hot, dry summers and short, cool, moist winters, when most of the rain falls. Greek victory over xerxes marathon (4 0), salamis/plataea (4 0/4 ) Accession of philip ii of macedon (35 bc)