Interaction+with+EnvironmentGreeceRome

Interactions with the Environment

 City-states were divided by mountains which made it for the government to be more difficult to be unified.  At the same time it made it more difficult for trade development because of the physical obstacles.  Peninsula (more of a physical landmark than an interaction with the environment)  Both Romans and Greeks used land to their advantages, whether it would be agriculture, travel or other practical uses that they may find for it.  Greeks and Romans were known for their great intellectual values and intelligence as well as craftsmanship and their abilities with their hands. They used their environment to their advantage since it was so vast that they were able to locate places to create national monuments that raised pride amongst the people. "The Battle of Thermopolae" is a good example of how the Greek were ingenious as well as able to use their environment in their favor. This war happened in roughly 480 BC where Greeks used a 50 foot wide pass to keep the Persian Empires' armies from getting in and taking over.

 Unlike Egypt or Mesopotamia, the Greek land did not have good terrain to travel through, did not have enough fresh water and was simply not as easy to live in. Rather than farming as much as the people in the Fertile Crescent did, Greeks resorted to fishing, sailing and trading with people who had things to offer. Trees were plentiful, but not very useful unless they were used to build houses or for fires, therefore they were cut down and the land became very arid.

 Roman architecture is just as famous as Greek, statues erected in ancient Rome were thanks to the vast amount of land that they had, resources that they gathered from the environment and made into landmarks that still exist today.  The city of Rome is located right next to the Tiber River, which plays advantages because they could fish, have fresh water and wash themselves.  Salt was very abundant and since it was precious back then, having an excess of it was benefitial.  Deserts, swamps, mountains and forrests made it an ideal place to be if you were raising an army because soldiers could practice in various locations and get better in order to be able to take over any place.  Meditarranean sea was under their control, which made it easy for trade and to fish and other activities. Imports from Egypt such as cotton and wood played a big role in their society.

 Environment played a bigger role in Rome than in Greece, although both had advantages, i believe that the land that Rome controlled was much more beneficial to survive in, while Greek land was important for wars and whatnot it was not as arable.