Ancient Greece and A Land of Mountains

A Land of Mountains
Mountains cover nearly three-fourths of Greece. The Pindus Range runs north and south through the center of Greece. Between the mountains lie narrow valleys and small areas of plains.

The geography of Greece made inland travel difficult and trade nearly impossible for the ancient Greeks. Dirt paths provided the only way to travel on land. The rivers of Greece were of no use for travel because they often dried up.

Land of Mountains

Because it was so hard to travel and trade inland, the people of each village had to survive on only the food they raised. Since the villages had little direct contact with each other, each one formed its own government and became fiercely independent. The mountainous land kept the people of this area from uniting under one government for many centuries.

The rugged land greatly affected the way of life of the ancient Greeks. Mountains were even a part of the religion of the Greeks. Mount Olympus, Greece's highest and most famous mountain, was said to be the home of Zeus and the other gods the ancient Greeks believed in.

Land of Mountains

 Because Greece is so mountainous, the ancient people found few places suitable for farming. In fact, the rocky land provided very few natural resources.

What effect did the mountains of Greece have on the Greek people?

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