Much of the character of the ancient Greeks was formed by they land in which they lived. In Egypt and Mesopotamia whose civilizations were formed along fertile riverlands, it was easy to subject a large population under a single ruler. In Greece, divided by mountains and sea such central control was impossible.

Nature nurtured Greeks in a hard school, and this made them more aware of their individual worth. Without this self-awareness they would have never have made their most important contribution to the human experience - the belief than a man must be honored for his individual worth and treated with respect for what he is. The belief in freedom was sustained by a deep respect for personal honor and nurtured by a love for action.