Major Lands
As you can see on the map provided, Greece is a general area lying in the center. Attica is the name of the peninsula on the east side, about midway down, which features the city of Athens (among many others). The landmass south of that, almost an island were it not for the narrow strip of land connecting it, is called Peloponnesus (the narrow strip is called the Isthmus). It contains Sparta and several other major city-states. The large island south of Peloponnesus is Crete, also part of Greece.
World Map
Attika
Peloponnesus
Macedonia
Thracia
Persia
Magna-Graecia
Crete
Attika
Peloponnesus
To the north is an area called Macedonia. The Macedonians have a shared history, strong military, and large area of land. These traits lead to them sometimes being considered separate from Greece, but Macedonians still speak Greek and are officially considered Hellenic.
Macedonia
East of Macedon, along the northern coast of the Aegean sea is the area called Thracia. Although there are several Greek colonies by the sea, most of the inland areas are wild and populated by various Thracian tribes.
Thracia
To the east is the landmass known as Anatolia. Aside from some Greek city-states on its west coast, Anatolia is mostly dominated by the Persian empire. At the moment, Greece and Persia are in a cold war of sorts. Given their history of conflict over the past decades, there is no large-scale trade and relations are very icy. Sardis is the most major Persian city in Anatolia.
Persia
Far Lands
There are other civilizations further away, whose members can commonly be seen coming and going in Greece. Phoenicia is an area southeast of Anatolia along the Mediterranean coastline. The Phoenicians are considered merchants and traders rather than warriors. With a good number of sailors and merchant ships, they have extensive colonies all over. Among these is their largest, the city of Carthage, which is somewhat autonomous. So much so, that the people from there are sometimes referred to as "Carthaginians" rather than Phoenicians. Carthage lies on the other side of the Mediterranean, far to the west.
Another far-off landmass called Italia lies to the west. Greece actually has several colonies on its southern tip, in an area called Magna Graecia. Further north is a wildland called Saunitis, inhabited by barbarian nomads. A large nation called Etruria, comprises the majority of northern Italia. The Etruscans are known for their religiosity and their strong military, due in part to their ingenious ironworking. They have been major trade partners with Greece in the past, but trade is now somewhat restricted as a condition of Etruria’s recent alliance with the Carthaginians.
Directly south from Greece, across the vast Mediterranean sea, lies the desert land of Egypt, populated by an exotic peoples. Relations have been well enough and Greece actually has one sovereign colony there, Naucratis. Egyptians are a rarity in Greece but a few Egyptian travelers have been seen locally.
There are other civilizations further away, whose members can commonly be seen coming and going in Greece. Phoenicia is an area southeast of Anatolia along the Mediterranean coastline. The Phoenicians are considered merchants and traders rather than warriors. With a good number of sailors and merchant ships, they have extensive colonies all over. Among these is their largest, the city of Carthage, which is somewhat autonomous. So much so, that the people from there are sometimes referred to as "Carthaginians" rather than Phoenicians. Carthage lies on the other side of the Mediterranean, far to the west.
Another far-off landmass called Italia lies to the west. Greece actually has several colonies on its southern tip, in an area called Magna Graecia. Further north is a wildland called Saunitis, inhabited by barbarian nomads. A large nation called Etruria, comprises the majority of northern Italia. The Etruscans are known for their religiosity and their strong military, due in part to their ingenious ironworking. They have been major trade partners with Greece in the past, but trade is now somewhat restricted as a condition of Etruria’s recent alliance with the Carthaginians.
Directly south from Greece, across the vast Mediterranean sea, lies the desert land of Egypt, populated by an exotic peoples. Relations have been well enough and Greece actually has one sovereign colony there, Naucratis. Egyptians are a rarity in Greece but a few Egyptian travelers have been seen locally.
Magna-Graecia
Crete
