Geography plays a critical role in shaping civilizations, and this is particularly true of ancient Greece.
The Greek peninsula (半岛)has two distinctive geographic features that influenced the development of Greek society. First, Greece has easy access to water. This easy access to water meant that the Greek people might naturally become explorers and traders. Second, Greece’s mountainous geography led to the development of the city-state. The high mountain s made it very difficult for people to travel or communicate. Therefore, each city-state developed independently and, often, very differently from one another. Athens and Sparta are two good examples of city-states that contrasted greatly with each other.
The city-state of Athens was the birthplace of many significant ideas. Ancient Athenians were a thoughtful people who enjoyed the systematic study of subjects such as science, philosophy, and history, to name a few. Athenians placed a heavy emphasis on the arts, architecture, and literature. Athenians also enjoyed a democratic(民主的)form of government in which some of the people shared power.
Life in Sparta was vastly different from life in Athens. The rulers requested citizens to become hardened soldiers so that they could fight off potential enemies or slave revolts(奴隶起义). By age seven，Spartan boys were taken from their families and underwent severe military training. Boys lived away from their families until the age of 30 even after they more married. Men were expected to be ready to serve in the army until they were 60 years old. The devotion of Spartans to developing a military state left litte time for the arts or literature.
The differences between Athens and Sparta eventually led to war between the two city-states. Sparta and Athens fought on and off for decades because no single city-state was strong enough to defeat the other.
With war came death and misfortune. But war cannot kill ideas. Despite the eventual submission of Athens, Athenian thought spread throughout the region. After temporary setbacks. these ideas only became more widely accepted and developed with the passing centuries.
【小题1】How did geography affect ancient Greece?| A．Access to water led to independent cities. |
| B．The mountains led to distinctive city-states. |
| C．The mountains facilitated natural exploration. |
| D．Access to water allowed cities to communicate easily. |
| A．A people ready to fight. | B．A commitment to the arts. |
| C．A ruler exercising political power. | D．An emphasis on the beauty of the city. |
| A．Strict and violent. | B．Calm and peaceful. |
| C．Intellectual and educated. | D．Chaotic and uncontrollable. |
| A．Athenians lost the war and their culture. |
| B．Spartans achieved victory in an injustice manner. |
| C．Athenians failed militarily but their ideas spread. |
| D．Spartans won and forced Athenians into slavery |
