What would you encounter in ancient Greece? You might be on the northern or southern tip of Greece. Would it be hot or cold? It would be cold in the winter, but warm in the summer. What would you eat? May I suggest some bread, cake, porridge, fruits, and vegetables? Maybe you?ll go to the Agora, and talk with some friends. Or, you might go to a drinking party right next door. You could go to fun religious festivals, and of course the Olympics. You might see Athens and Sparta fight in the Peloponnesian War. Or, you?ll see government slowly change, to give you a say in the government. And finally, you might see the amazing sculptors and amazing buildings, they built back in ancient Greece.
Geography: Location
Imagine being in a grocery store. Everything?s convenient right? Greece was just like that because of its location. It was near several seas. The Mediterranean Sea was to the south, the Ionian and Aegean were branches of the Mediterranean. Also, Greek had a long coastline, and many places were less than 100 miles from the coast. Most of the cities were built directly on harbors, and this made it easy to get lots of different kinds of food. Doesn't that sound like your local grocery store?
Geography: Land
Have you ever felt insulated? That?s what it felt like in ancient Greece. Ancient Greece didn?t have any rivers big enough to travel. Also, 70 to 80 percent of Greece is covered in mountains, which also made it hard to travel around inside Greece. In addition, the mountains made it hard for farming. As a result of these mountains, farmers had to have a workaround for this. As their workaround, farmers grew grain on the few open plains. Olive trees grew on the sides of these plains. On lower slopes of hills, they planted grapevines. On land that was too rocky or didn?t have fertile soil, sheep and goats grazed on the land. The people of ancient Greece made the best of what they had on their land.
Geography: Climate
Ancient Greece?s climate was different at different time periods. In the summer, the weather was warm and sunny. The highest temperatures in ancient Greece during the summer months were around 33 degrees Celsius. During the winter, high temperatures were between 13 and 15 degrees Celsius. Greece?s rainfall also varied during time periods. In the months of December and January rainfalls total 65 mm, while in the months of July and August rainfall totals are only 6 mm. Ancient Greece weather varied, just like their landscapes.
Daily Life: Food
The Greeks ate a variety of foods. Grains were a major part of their diet. Some examples of grains they used are wheat and barley. These grains were used to make a variety of foods. Bread, cakes, porridges are just some examples they used with these grains. The Greeks also ate many fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables were eaten in the summer. The diet in the winter was different; they ate dried fruit, apples, cheese, and lentils. Since most Greeks lived near the sea, fish, squid, and shellfish were also part of their diet. The Greeks also ate meat, but the poor Greeks could not afford it. This diet, with fruits and vegetables, made the Greeks healthy.
Daily Life: Clothing
The Greeks? clothing was very simple. Greek men?s clothing consisted of tunics, made from wool or linen. When it was cold, Greeks draped a cloak over their shoulders and arms. They wore either sandals, or nothing at all. (Most Greeks did not wear shoes at all). Greek women?s clothing consisted of just one piece, also made from linen or wool, just like men?s clothing. Since it was just one piece, they used various ways to make the clothes stay on. One way was holding the tunic by pins at the shoulders and a belt around the waist. The Greeks wore simple clothes that were similar for men and women.
Daily Life: Recreation
What did the Greeks do for ?fun?? In today?s society, ?fun? means going to the mall, playing video games, etc. However, it was very different in ancient Greece. Men would go to the agora, and talk to friends. They also went to drinking parties at their friends? houses. These parties were called symposiums. The men in Greece also liked to go to public sport facilities to exercise and swim. Greek women had little entertainment outside of the home, but they were permitted to go to religious festivals. Children in ancient Greece had many toys. Some examples of toys they had are dolls, balls, dice and board games.
Religious festivals were also a popular form of recreation. In these religious festivals they competed in athletics. Some examples are boxing and wrestling. Religious festivals also had performances of plays. The most famous religious festival was the Olympics, which was held every 4 years to honor the Greek god Zeus. A win in the Olympics is the highest honor an athlete could achieve. The Greeks had many fun ways to spend their time when they were not working.
