The natural barrier for Athens
Athens is surrounded by mountains: Aigaleo to the west, Parnes to the north, Pentelikon to the northeast, and Hymettus to the east. These mountains formed natural barriers against invaders as they would have to first climb the mountain before they could attack. Athens was also close to water, the Saronic Gulf. It seems they were open to attacks, but Athens had a navy themselves and would be able to intercept attacks.
Geography; How did it affect the rise of Athens?
Due to the mountains in Greece all these city-states were split up and therefore they all had different practices and cultures. Greek temperatures average 48 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. These nice temperatures allowed the ancient Athenians to spend much of their time outside with activities such as sports and public meetings.
The economy of Athens was based upon farming, manufacturing and trade. Athens and other cities derived much of their wealth in the trade of woolen goods, wheat, olive oil, grapes and wine throughout the Greek Mediterranean world. Athenians also manufactured metal goods, including weapons, and also pottery which used for the home or to transport olive oil and other goods from city to city. Where there is trade, there is the need for shipbuilding and finances. Athens became a center for financial business--loans and investment, etc. Athens was also enriched by large silver mines in its territory. Because the Athenians were so close to the water, they already saw their destiny as seafaring people. They used boats as their first method of transportation and they traded, later they even traded with other civilizations outside of Greece. Even though the Athenians didn't have much access to timber, precious metals, and usable farmland, they still became a great and powerful city-state. Geography; How did it contribute to Athens' fall?Due to Athens' limited access to resources, and the fact that it was separated from he rest of Greece by mountains, Athens depended on overseas trade for timber, precious metals. They also depended on food for trade as the area around Athens did not have much usable farmland. Due to this, if they were in a war (eg. the Peloponnesian War) and their supply line was cut off, the Athenians would quickly run out of food and other resources.
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