Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils establish broad knowledge of ancient Greek civilisation. They learn about the geography and location of the ancient Greek city-states, Athens and Sparta's rivalry, and evaluate what ancient Greek myths can tell us about Ancient Greek culture.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe where Ancient Greece was located and briefly outline its history.

Key Notes

• Ancient Greece was in the eastern Mediterranean and at its peak spread to other parts of Europe, Africa and Asia.
• Greece is mountainous with thousands of islands, leading to many smaller states making up Ancient Greece.
• The Ancient Greek civilisation began c. 900 BCE and lasted until roughly 31 BCE.
• By 750 BCE, it had colonies in Italy and Sicily but the decline of Ancient Greece coincided with the rise of the Romans.
• Ancient Greek civilisation developed after the Sumerian, Egyptian, Indus and Shang civilisations.

Vocabulary To Learn

• barrier: a barrier is something that blocks the way or stops something from happening; barriers can be natural features like rivers or human-made like walls
• city-state: a city-state is a city that rules itself and the land around it
• colony: a colony is a place where people settle away from but under the control of their home country
• Romans: Romans were the people of a civilisation based in Italy that grew to dominate the Mediterranean region

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Ancient Greece and Greece are exactly the same place.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Sparta's rivalry with Athens Study Guide
• The city-state of Athens Study Guide
• The city-states of Ancient Greece Study Guide
• What Greek myths can tell us about Ancient Greece Study Guide
• What we know about Ancient Greece Study Guide