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An ear of barley, symbol of wealth in the city of Metapontum in Magna Graecia (i.e. the Greek colonies of southern Italy), stamped stater, c. 530–510 BCE. During the early time of Greek history, as shown in the Odyssey, Greek agriculture - and diet - was based on cereals (sitos, though usually translated as wheat, could in fact designate any type of cereal grain).
In ancient Greece and Rome, the captive breeding of livestock, particularly the rearing of cattle, was an integral part of the economy. In both the Greek and Roman economies of antiquity, cattle were seen as a determiner of wealth, and herds often served as a dowry in certain arranged-marriage scenarios, as they still do today in many African ...
Agriculture in ancient Greece was hindered by the topography of mainland Greece that only allowed for roughly 10% of the land to be cultivated properly, necessitating the specialised exportation of oil and wine and importation of grains from Thrace (centered in what is now Bulgaria) and the Greek colonies of Pontic Greeks near the Black Sea.
Practically from its inception, ancient Greek civilization relied on sheep as primary livestock, and were even said to name individual animals. [7]: 13 Scandinavian sheep of a type seen today — with short tails and multi-colored fleece — were also present early on.
Helios, who in Greek mythology is the god of the Sun, is said to have had seven herds of oxen and seven flocks of sheep, each numbering fifty head. [3] In the Odyssey, Homer describes these immortal cattle as handsome (ἄριστος), wide-browed (εὐρυμέτωπος), fat, and straight-horned (ὀρθόκραιρος). [4]
The economy of ancient Greece was defined largely by the region's dependence on imported goods. As a result of the poor quality of Greece 's soil , agricultural trade was of particular importance. The impact of limited crop production was somewhat offset by Greece's paramount location, as its position in the Mediterranean gave its provinces ...
Horses have had a significant place in the history and culture of Greece since ancient times. They appear frequently in the literature, art and mythology of the Mycenaean and later civilisations of Ancient Greece. As in other European countries, the number of horses in the country fell sharply in the twentieth century with the advent of motor ...
Agriculture in Greece is deeply rooted in history, and based on its Mediterranean climate. This practice encompasses a wide array of crops , including olives, grapes, citrus fruits, cereals, and vegetables, with a notable emphasis on olive oil production , establishing Greece as a global leader in this industry.