Mediterranean Europe (South)

A history of ancient glory

MILD CLIMATE NEARBY MEDITERRANEAN SEA THAT

ENCOURAGED OVERSEAS TRADE
Greece: Birthplace of
Democracy

In 2000 BCE, people from

the north started to move to Villages were built.
the Balkan Peninsula.

Since the Balkan peninsula Isolation of villages led to

creation of city-states.
was mountainous, the (political unit made up of a
villages were isolated. city and its surrounding lands)
Lasting Legacy: Ancient Greece

Science, Philosophy, Drama, Shaping the modern culture First democracy in Athens (rule of the people or majority)

• Mythology • All free adult men who were citizens had the right to serve in
• Pythagorean Theorem the law-making assembly.
• Geometry (Thales) • This practice inspired the USA’s government system.
• Astronomy (Planets and Stars)
• Ethics, Natural Law, Reason
 As Greece lost power, a state to the west was rising.

Rome ruled most of the Italian Peninsula by 275 BCE.

The Roman
Empire During that time, Rome was a republic (citizens elect
representatives to rule in their name)

The empire grew by conquering territory overseas, including

Iberian and Balkan peninsulas.
1096 - Crusades
 Renaissance
• Rebirth
• Italian city-states renewed interests in learning and the arts that lasted for 200 years (14th to 16th century)
Bubonic Plague

Killed millions of
Year 1347
Europeans
 In 700s, Muslims from North Africa conquered
the Iberian Peninsula.

They controlled parts of the peninsula for more

Spain’s Empire than 700 years.

In 1492, Ferdinand and Queen Isabella retook

Spain from the Muslims.
 Mediterranean Europe’s history shaped its
culture by determining where languages are
A Rich spoken and where religions are practiced today.
Cultural
Legacy The people of the region take pride in the
artistic legacy of the past.
 Unlike many areas of Europe that Rome
conquered, Greece retained its own
Rome’s language.
Cultural
Legacy Rome’s language (Latin) evolved and
became Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian.
Centuries of art
• Mediterranean Europe shows many signs of its past civilizations.
• Greece and Italy have ancient ruins, such as the Parthenon (showcase of
classical architecture)
• Spain has Roman Aqueducts, structures that carried water for long
distances.
• Spain also has beautiful mosques.
Cordoba Mosque