The Mountains: Lots of Mountains and Fresh Water: The ancient Greeks needed a source of fresh water to settle down. Farming in Ancient Greece Most ancient Greeks farmed, but good land and water were scarce. Travel by land was hard, and sea voyages were hazardous. Isolated Communities and the Difficulties of Travel Greece’s steep mountains and surrounding seas forced Greeks to settle in isolated communities. What made the Greek communities so hard to settle? The Greeks had a different god for almost everything. They made special places in their homes and temples where they could pray to statues of the gods and leave presents for them. The Greeks believed in gods and goddesses who, they thought, had control over every part of people’s lives. How did the Greek gods affect everyday life? The animals sacrificed were usually pigs, sheep, goats or cows and always the same sex as the god which was being honoured. What we do know is that the most common religious practices were sacrifice and the pouring of libations, all to the accompaniment of prayers in honour of the god. What were the common religious practices in ancient Greece? All Athenian citizens were expected to have military training, be educated, pay their taxes and serve Athens in times of war. All Athenian citizens had the right to vote in the Assembly, debate, own land and own slaves. It was a right to hold Athenian citizenship. What were the responsibilities of Greek citizens? Who was the richest person in ancient Greece? Agricultural trade was of great importance because the soil in Greece was of poor quality which limited crop production. Their economy was defined by that dependence. How did the ancient Greece make money?Īncient Greece relied heavily on imported goods. The sea was often the easiest way to move from place to place. These physical barriers caused population centers to be relatively isolated from each other. The landscape features rocky, mountainous land and many islands. Greek city-states likely developed because of the physical geography of the Mediterranean region. How did geography affect ancient Greek city-states?