Early Greek Civilizations

Before the famous city-states of Athens and Sparta came to dominate the Greek landscape, several early civilizations lived on mainland Greece and the Greek island of Crete. Evidence of these civilizations has only been discovered in the past two hundred years. In this interactivity, you will examine information about the Minoans, the Myceneans, and the Greek Dark Ages. Click the player button to begin.
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Athens and Sparta

You already learned Greece had a very mountainous interior that limited contact among communities early in the culture's development. This lead the Greeks to form independent city-states called poleis. Each polis had its own identity, government, coinage, patron god, and social and political structures. They formed around fertile land and other natural resources. Two major poleis in ancient Greece were Athens and Sparta. By comparing Athens and Sparta in this interactivity, you will better understand the types of differences among poleis. Click the player button to begin.
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