The Hellenistic Greek world never covered the same territory as modern Greece, but was both larger and more fragmented. Greece seemed to be found wherever Greek was spoken, which included many places far from the homeland. To be Greek was to share a common outlook more than a common country and to a large extent the same attitude exists today. They were a common people leading similar lives, but within their own "City-States", rather than working united as a country.
The presence of the mountains restricted the communication across the country which helped to enrich the independent settlements which stand as a symbol of Greek culture. Small Greek communities were established all around the Mediterranean coast, many loosing contact with the homeland. Because of their limited resources, it was rare for these city to grow to large and eventually die out. Most settlements were in the valleys and surrounding hillsides where the only fertile soil was available. They could not rely on the river, because what might be a thundering stretch of water in the wet winter months could be nothing but a dry and cracking river bed in the dreaded summer months.
The experience of most Greeks was very limited, as there were few traders or travelers. They were constrained to their immediate needs, such as, the demands of the family farm and the physical barriers of the land around them. These communities were restricted purely to farming, seeing as there were not enough open plains to efficiently herd cattle or other animals. These towns began to pop up on the hillsides which forced new cultivating techniques. The land was terraced both for the crops as well as creating a level foundation for building construction. The coast was also a popular area of settlement, which allowed for sailing ports to become economically beneficial. There were only three major natural resources that were utilized by the Greeks, which were stone, clay, and timber. The stone and timber were used most in construction while clay was used for extensive pottery production.
Present Greece is much the same as it was 2000 years ago. Not much has happened since breaking away from the Ottoman Empire in the mid-ninteenth century. That independence has still not created the unity of a country as we might see in the United States. These cities are socially and economically suficient on their own. They are very satisfied to remain where they are and not branch out to the other European countries around them, such as Bulgaria, and Turkey. Yes, they are looking to the future, but on their own terms. Any sense of unity must take place internally and not by the persistence of neighboring countries. Technology is the only way to bring the Greeks together as a united country, because the topography and climate are not going to change.
On-Line Reference to Greece
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