Where is Mediterranean Europe?

Mediterranean Europe

• Spain

• Portugal

• Andorra

• Italy

• Vatican City

• Malta

• Greece

Mediterranean Sea

• Important Waterway

• Transportation all over southern Europe and northern Africa

• Trade

• Leads to Atlantic and other parts of the world

• Navigable

The Mediterranean region was home to the two great civilizations

of ancient Europe. What were they?

• Ancient Greece

• Ancient Rome

Greece: Birthplace of Democracy

Three geographic features affected this region’s development

• Mild climate- made survival easier and societies had time to develop complex institutions such as government- speeches given outside

• Mountainous- segregates parts of Greece into city-states that become more important than the country

• Mediterranean Sea- encouraged trade with different societies bringing new ideas to the area. This leads to advances in knowledge

Maps of Greece

• The city-state of Athens developed the first democracy, a government in which the people rule.

• In Athens, all free adult males were citizens who had the right to serve in the law-making assembly

• Athenian democracy helped inspire the US system of government

• Warring among the city-states of Greece weakened them and they were eventually conquered by Alexander the Great

Greek science, philosophy, drama and art helped shape modern culture.

The Parthenon in GreeceFamous Greek Temple (450 BC) near Athens

Typical Greek village and Greek money

City of Santorini in Greece

Greek Heroes: Hercules…Homer’s epics: The Iliad and Odyssey

Apennine Mts.-Italy

• Apennine Mountains in Italy

• Spine going down the back of the “boot”

• Difficult to travel from the east side of the country

• Most cities found in North or West

• North Italy different from South Italy

“All roads lead to Rome”

• As Greece was losing it’s power, Rome was rising

• Founded in 753 BC• Huge empire by 100 AD• Built a large network of

roads for communication and to make it easy for armies to march

• Rome was a republic, a government in which citizens elect representatives to rule in their name

• Rome conquered the Iberian and Balkan peninsulas

• Because of turmoil in the country, Rome put aside its republic and began to be ruled by an emperor.

• One of Rome’s territories was Palestine, the place where Jesus was born. Christianity spread across the Roman empire when it became Rome’s official religion in the late 300 A.D.’s

• Emperor Constantine made it an official religion

• Roads that helped armies also helped spread Christianity

• All of this helped Christianity spread to the extent it does today

Italy The Coliseum in Rome

• The invaders who overthrew Rome had no strong central government and so Italy eventually became divided into many small city-states.

• In 1096, Christians launched the Crusades against the Muslims that were controlling Palestine.

Crusades

Crusades

• Italians earned large profits by supplying ships for the Crusaders.

• Italian states became rich and they grew powerful once again

• The wealth they acquired would allow them to have more time for the arts

Vatican City Smallest populated nation. Have their own flag and currency

Vatican St. Peters Basilica

Renaissance

• With the money gained from the Crusades, they had more to spend on non-necessities

• Could pay for art, become patrons of the arts

• More money and time to spend developing ideas and inventions

• Began in the Italian city-states

• Time of renewed interest in learning and the arts that lasted from the 14th – 16th century

• Renaissance ideas began in Italy

• Spread north to the rest of Europe

The Renaissance started in Italy in the 1300’s with

famous artists and inventors- such as: Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Donatelo, and Rafael

Michaelangelo’s “Awakening Slave” & “Holy Family”

Michaelangelo’s “Creation of Man” Painted on ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

Leonardo DaVinci Artist & inventor

Italy

Venice -Canals throughout the city

• Buildings in Venice built next to the canal

• Water from canals weakens foundation

• Buildings begin to sink

• Use boats or gondolas to travel down the canals

Venice Gondolas

Leaning tower of Pisa

Iberian Peninsula

• Spain and Portugal established colonies throughout the Americas and elsewhere

• They spread Catholicism and the Spanish and Portuguese language throughout the world

• Geography makes it easier for these places to head out of Europe

Pyrenees Mountains Pyrenees Mts. have isolated the Iberian Peninsula from

the rest of Europe

SPAIN

Barcelona

Columbus Monument

AqueductsStructures that carried water for long distances

Rock of GibraltarThe Rock of Gibraltar is famous for its strategic importance; it holds an underground military communication center and

a naval base.