Ancient Greece Trades

The ancient Greeks traded in various commodities by way of barter system at first and later, modern trade in their own country and across the world.

Some of the most traded items among this nation were perfumes from Arabia, cheese and pork from Sicily, wheat, barley, and glass from Egypt, ivory from Ethiopia, and rugs from Carthage. In exchange for these items, Greece produced and traded only wine, olives, pottery, olive oil, fresh-water fish, and jewelry because these are the only items that were in abundance.


Many Greeks were sailors, and sailed all over the Eastern Mediterranean. The Greek sailors seem to have found a lot of different ways to make their living from sailing. Some of them were fishermen, and ate some fish and sold some in markets.

Other Greeks were traders, who bought things at one port and sold them at another port, and made some profit for themselves along the way.
The eastern Greeks controlled much of the Aegean Sea and had established independent cities to the north along the Black Sea. This region, in particular, opened up further trade connections to the north that gave access to valuable raw materials, such as gold.

Transportation made possible the conveying of agricultural materials as well as raw manufactured commodities back and forth within Europe. The two modes of transportation which made man's population of Europe fruitful were land transport by wagon with horse or ox within the landmass, and water transport throughout the Mediterranean.

Trading stations played an important role as the furthest outposts of Greek culture. Here, Greek goods, such as pottery, bronze, silver and gold vessels, olive oil, wine, and textiles, were exchanged for luxury items and exotic raw materials that were in turn worked by Greek craftsmen. The Greeks established trading enclaves within existing local communities in the Levant, such as at Al Mina.

In the seventh century B.C., contacts with eastern craftsmen, notably on Crete and Cyprus, inspired Greek artists to work in techniques as diverse as gem cutting, ivory carving, jewellery making, and metalworking.

Ancient Greek Life History / Ancient Greece Facts for Kids

We owe a lot to Ancient Greek Civilization. History of ancient Greece is a fascinating. On this site, we have given information on various ancient Greek life aspects - Arts, Boys and Girls, Architecture, Dancing, Gods, Myths, Medicine, Inventions, Houses, Government, Religions, Wars, Politics, Weapons and ancient Greece Cities.