Greek trading

SOURCE ANALYSIS TASK

• Pay attention to the following images (maps,
photos, drawings, etc.)
• For each source answer the following
questions:
1. Is it a primary or secondary source?
2. What can you see in the source?
3. What can you learn from the source about
Greece/Greek society?
 Greece is surrounded on the
three sides by seas, so water
travel was very important. The
Greeks used the seas like
highways and became skilled
sailors and shipbuilders. Fishing
was the major source of food.
Greece has rocky land that made
farming difficult. To increase
their farmland, ancient Greeks
established colonies. They used
trade to obtain the natural
resources they lacked.
Greeks city-states traded with each
other and with other regions around
the Black Sea and the
Mediterranean. Egypt and Italy were
two of Greece's trade partners.
As Greeks traded with distant
cities and colonies, their
region of influence spread.
For example, Greek trade
spread Grecian art, writing,
and government around the
Mediterranean.
 The Greeks produced olive oil,
wool and fine pottery, all of
which they traded. In return, the
Greeks bought resources they
lacked such as grain and timber.
They also traded for animal
hides, slaves and flax for making
linen.
 Greece had a very rich
tradition in maritime trade.
A major innovation in
transportation was the trireme
ship.
The trireme enabled the Greeks to
become the naval power of the
world and make the
Mediterranean safe for their
shipping.
The trireme was a class of warship
used by the ancient civilizations of
the Mediterranean. Its name
derives from its rows of oars on
each side, manned with man per
oar. It was a very agile and fast
warship.
 In the beginning the cargo ships were
small, tubby crafts that were used for
coasting. As the years passed and the
technology became more advanced, the
cargo ships became powerful vessels
that were much faster and were built to
carry heavier loads for longer voyages. 
 One thing that helped trading
grow in the ancient Greek world
was the laws that were put in
place regarding it. The state
looked after the safety of the
merchants in the harbors and the
markets.
The state charged duties on imports
and exports to make money. This 
state helped the Greek economy and
improved commerce.  In this way, the
state helped improve trade, while
trade helped to improve the state and
the lives of the people that lived in
Greece.