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CHAPTER 2

TAMING THE WILDS I t was not easy living in Greece. The landscape was wild and mountainous , and the climate was harsh, with scorching summers and stormy winters. It was difficult to grow food to support the population, and it was hard to get around. It was often easier to go by sea, though shipwrecks were common. So were pirate attacks. Worst of all, Greece lay in a violent earthquake zone.

You can see the ancient terraces on this Greek mountainside in Peloponnese.

Chapter 2: TAMING THE WILDS 13