Ancient Greece

One of our homework assigment this week was a reading from Peter Stearns about the syncretism of Egypt and the Middle East's ideas into Greece. It just so happens, that the most ideas distinguishing Greece from the other societies was actually "borrowed" and modified from the ancient river-valley civilizations. First, the Greece alphabet seems to have modified the Egyptian civilization's. Crete blended Middle Eastern influences, such as it's language, writing materials, symbols, technology such as chariots and spears. Since Greece's geography lacked important natural resources, trade was necessary. But also, since Greece's geography was pretty much the same all around the country, it made trade and communication better so obtaining the raw materials weren't as hard. The sea was it's ultimate source for trade. But what distinguishes Greece from other societies is the types of arts, , statues and the city structures. (acropolis, monuments from the Age of Pericles, etc....)