While the Mycenean civilisation was familiar with the rearing of cattle, this reduced quickly as a result of geographic expansion into less suitable terrain.

Herbs were also grown (sage, mint, thyme, savory, oregano, etc.), as were oilseed plants such as linseed, sesame, and poppy.Īnimal husbandry, above all seen as a sign of power and wealth in the works of Homer, was in fact not well developed due to the limitations of geography. These core crops were augmented by vegetable gardens (cabbage, onion, garlic, lentils, chick pea, beans) and orchards (fig, almond, pomegranate). Grapes have been grown since the Bronze age. Grapes also do well in the rocky soil, but demand a lot of care. Olive plantations are a long-term investment: it takes more than twenty years for the tree to provide fruit, and it only fruits every other year.

The growing of olive trees dates back to early Greek history.

On the other hand, the Greek land was very well adapted for olive trees, which provided olive oil. The 'tightness' of the land (στενοχωρία / stenokhôría) also explains Greek colonization, and the importance Anatolian cleruchies would have for the Athenian empire in controlling grain provision. It did not take long for demand to out pace production capabilities. Various attempts have been made to calculate Attican grain production in the period, but results have not been conclusive. Even if the ancients were aware of the better nutritional value of wheat, the growing of barley was less demanding and more productive. In reality, 90% of cereal production was barley. The generic term (σῖτος / sitos, usually translated as wheat, could in fact designate any type of cereal grain. Attica, Cyclades, the south of Peloponnese, and Crete are much more arid than the rest of Greece.ĭuring the early part of Greek history, as shown in the Odyssey, Greek agriculture - and diet - was based on cereals: barley (κριθαί / kritaí), Durum wheat (πύρος / pýros), and, less commonly, millet or common wheat. As such in the mountains winters can be rigorous and snowy. The Mediterranean climate is characterized by two seasons: the first dry and hot, from April to September (river beds tend to dry up) the second is humid and marked by often violent rain storms brought in by west winds, with mild frost free temperatures.

Ancient warfare 2 fruit farm