What kinds of trades did the ancient Greeks have? I know there were potters, but what other kinds of craftsmen were there? Thanks!
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1 :
Architects, stone masons, artists, musicians, absolutely great playwrights, actors, shipbuilders, potters, carpenters, blacksmiths, metal foundries, leather craftsmen, shoemakers, brewers and vintners, sculptors, scribes.... they were the first "modern" people.
2 :
Greek Blacksmiths Blacksmiths used bronze, and later iron ore, to create swords, plows, axes, and other tools. They used billows made of animal skin to blow air into their fires to produce the heat needed to work with the metal. After heating the metal, they used hammers to shape it into a weapon or a tool. Greek Marble Quarrying Athenians used marble in their construction of temples on the Acropolis. Marble was dug up from quarries. In the quarries, holes were drilled in the rock in a straight line. Wooden wedges were placed into the holes. The wood was then watered to make it expand. The expanding wood broke the rock in a straight line. Craftsmen in Ancient Greece Most shops in ancient Greece were small and family run. Some had a few slaves along with the family members working. Some shops had ten to thirty workers. One armory in Athens employed 120 workers, but this was a rare exception. Craftsmen could specialize in their work depending on the size of the city where they worked. In a smaller community a woodworker may make beds, plows, and doorframes. In a larger city, craftsmen specialized in making only one product. Bankers in Ancient Greece Bankers had a vital role in ancient Greece. They changed money from other city-states into local currency. They often loaned money for trading voyages. The rates of their loans varied based on the risk involved in the proposed venture. Doctors and Medicine in Ancient Greece Medicine during the time of the ancient Greeks was limited in its ability to cure diseases. The field of medicine combined science and religious beliefs. The ancient Greeks believed that sickness was brought on by an imbalance in four substances known as “humors.†The four humors were blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. Those who practiced medicine drew blood and induced vomiting or sweating to bring the four humors back into balance. Farming in Ancient Greece Farming in ancient Greece was difficult due to the limited amount of good soil and cropland. It is estimated that only twenty percent of the land was usable for growing crops. The main crops were barley, grapes, and olives. Greek Fishermen There is clear evidence that the Greeks had a large amount of fish in their diets. The Greeks had no refrigeration systems, so the fish had to be eaten before the meat spoiled. Fishermen brought fresh catches into the agora to sell. The poorer Greeks could only afford, little fish, such as anchovies and sapts. The wealthy could afford tuna, sea bass, and red mullet. Eel was considered the greatest fish delicacy in ancient Greece. Greek Market Trader Many traders set up small stalls in the agora, where they sold goods produced in their shops. The stalls were made of reeds and were probably very hot and dusty. Normally, similar products were sold in the same area of the agora. Farmers would also bring their items to sell in the agora. Greek Merchants Merchants were traders in ancient Greece. They owned boats or rented cargo space on other boats. Merchants, known as metrics, were often foreigners. A metric did not have the same rights as a citizen of a city-state. Shipping involved a number of risks such as pirates, shipwrecks, or the cargo going bad. Shipping also had good profit possibilities, so many took the risk. Mining in Ancient Greece The Greeks used bronze, a mix of tin and copper, for their weapons and tools. Later, iron was used because it produced harder tools and weapons. Athens found a large amount of silver in the mines at Laurium. At its peak, Athens had over 20,000 slaves mining at Laurium. At the request of Themistocles, they used the money from these mines to pay for a large navy. This investment in the navy paid off in their development of a large trade network around the Mediterranean. Teachers in Ancient Greece Teachers in ancient Greece only educated boys. Girls were educated at home by their mothers. Boys from well-to-do families were sent to school around the age of seven. In Sparta, boys at the age of seven were sent to a city-run military school and stayed in the barracks. In other city-states, each boy was accompanied by a slave called a paidogogos. The slave’s job was to insure the child’s good behavior. A grammatist taught reading, writing, and simple math. For education in music, a ketharistes taught his students how to play the lyre and an instrument that resembled the oboe. An instructor called a palaestra taught physical education. Most evidence suggests that teachers were poorly paid in early Greece, and they had a low status in society. ===== This should give you some idea of the careers that could be followed in Ancient Greece. I hope this is helpful.
