Ancient Greece

Brendan Shantz and Domenic Rivetti

Economy

● Trade made a variety of goods available to the Greeks for the first time, while it also
helped spread Greek culture to the world.
● Since Greece is a peninsula, most trade was done by boat or ship.
● Very wealthy people were taxed only when the country was in need of money, usually
during a war.
● The most common crops harvested were wheat, olives, grapes, herbs, and vegetables.
● Livestock was very important through Ancient Greece: goats and sheep were the most
commonly found.
● Up to 80% of the population were farmers.
Political Structure

● Since Greece was made up of several different city-states, each one had a different
political structure.
● Overall, Greece began with monarchies, then oligarchies, then tyrannies, and then
democracies.
○ Monarchy: Ruling is in the hands of a single person.
○ Oligarchy: The richer and more powerful ruled.
○ Tyranny: One person took power by force.
○ Democracy: Ruling power was in the hands of all people.
● Democracy was first established by Athens and eventually influenced other Greek city-
states.
Social Structure/Social Life

● Greece was mainly broken down into 3 classes consisting of Royalty, free people, and
slaves.
● Slaves were set free after 15 years of service.
● The slaves’ lives were depressing and brutal. The slave owners’ lives were happy due
to the slaves.
● The Olympic Games were very big. They were played by men, and could only be
watched by men.
Major Contributions to the World

● The concept of citizenship was developed by the ancient Athenians.

● The Olympic Games.
● Theaters were invented by Ancient Greeks.
● Comedies, tragedies, and satirical plays were first performed by Greeks.
● Greece introduced the world to democracy.
Thank You