Imperfect Knowledge. The state of Greek knowledge concerning world geography was poor in comparison with geographical knowledge today. Maps in ancient Greece, along with most geographical lore, were possessed only by the upper classes and, even then, were fragmentary and imperfect, filled with incredible tales of distant flora and fauna, outlandish human customs, and misinformed pronouncements about the size and extent of different regions. Exploration for its own sake was rarely undertaken, and such discoveries as existed about the inhabited world came about through expeditions launched for purposes of trade or colonization. Still, the Greeks showed a laudable curiosity about the inhabited regions around them, even if the information they gathered was not always correct.

Mountainous Terrain. The geography of Greece had a profound impact on the political, economic, cultural, and social development of Greece. Mountainous terrain limited the areas for settlements and influenced the rise of the...