Lesson 25 Introduction : Isolated Communities

Lesson 25, Section One : Isolated Communities

Isolated Communities

The mountains and the seas of Greece contributed greatly to the isolation of ancient Greek communities.  Because travel over the mountains and across the water was so difficult, the people in different settlements had little communication with each other.

Multiple Choice

What does the word isolated mean ?

• talking to a lot of people

• being very tired

• having a lot of money

• having little contact with others

Isolated Communities

Travel by land was especially hard. People mostly walked, or rode in carts pulled by oxen or mules. Roads were unpaved. Sharp rocks frequently shattered wooden wheels, and thick mud could stop a wagon in its tracks. Only wealthy people could afford to ride horses.

Multiple Choice

Why were people so isolated from one another in Ancient Greece ?

• Travel on land was difficult due to the geography

• no one had the internet

• People in Greece were very shy and never talked

• All of their cars were always in the shop

Isolated Communities

Travelers could stop at inns on the main roads, but many inns provided only shelter.  People had to bring their own food and other supplies with them.  Slaves or pack animals carried bedding, food, and other necessities.  With all these goods to take with them, the Greeks often traveled in groups, moving at a slower pace than someone traveling alone.

Fill in the Blank

With rocky terrain, little food, slow animals, and moving in groups, traveling in Greece seems like it was ....?

Isolated Communities

Traveling by water was easier than traveling by land. You can see on the map that mainland Greece is a peninsula, made up of smaller peninsulas. Ancient Greeks were never far from the water.  To the south of Greece is the Mediterranean Sea; to the east, the  Aegean Sea ; and to the west, the Ionian (ahy-OH-neeuhn) Sea.  The ancient Greeks soon learned to travel by ship.

Multiple Choice

Mainland Greece is a peninsula. A peninsula is ........?

• a high elevated piece of flat land.

• a piece of land almost entirely surrounded by water except where it connects to land.

• a barren sandy piece of dry land.

• an area of land where a river empties into a sea.

Isolated Communities

The Greeks understood the dangers of the sea and treated it with great respect.  Sudden storms could drive ships off course or send them smashing into the rocky shoreline.  Even in open waters, ships could sink.  These hazards encouraged Greek sailors to navigate close to shore, sail only during daylight, and stop at night to anchor.

Multiple Choice

There were a lot of hazards to sailing along Greek coastlines. In this context, hazards means .......?

• very fun

• a long process

• dangerous or risky

• small adventures