The land Greece is a hot, dry, mountainous country. The hills were propably more wooded in ancient times than they are now. Good farming land was limited to narrow valleys and coastal plains. People were never far from the sea, so it played an important role in their lives. The Greek coastline is full of inlets and bays and there are many islands.

The people In the Classical Period, most Grrek city states had goverments that were democratically elected by the citizens. Not all the inhabitants were citizens, however. Excluded from citizenship were all women, foreigners, slaves and freed slaves. Slaves were usually prisoners of war, or people born of slave parents.

The City of Athens The city of Athens dates back to Mycenaean times. It was built around the acropolis (meaning "high town"), the city's strongest point. The Athenians claimed they were descended from the Ionians, who had lived in Greece before the coming of the Dorians. In the Classical Period, there were propably just over a quarter of a million people in Athens and the surrounding countryside. It was a wealthy city, partly due to the possession of rich silver mines at Laureum. These helped pay for the navy and foreign trade. There was a port at Piraeus, about 6 km from Athens.