This map depicts the geographical and ethno-linguistic landscape of the Greek world around 700 BCE, which is a period significant for the Archaic Age of Greece.
- Ethno-Linguistic Distribution: The map uses different colors to illustrate the approximate distribution of major Greek tribal groups:
| Color | Group | Typical Dialect / Identity | Core Zones on the Map |
| Green | Dorians | Doric dialect; later famed for militaristic Sparta | Most of the Peloponnese (Laconia, Messenia, Argolis), parts of Crete, and a strip of south-western Asia Minor around Halicarnassus |
| Red | Ionians | Ionic dialect; associated with intellectual and mercantile centers | Attica (Athens), Euboea, many Cycladic islands, and the central Aegean coast of Asia Minor (e.g., Miletus, Samos) |
| Blue | Other Greek peoples (largely Aeolians plus mixed areas) | Aeolic and local dialects | Much of Boeotia, Thessaly, Epirus, and northerly islands such as Lesbos |
- Key City-States and Settlements: The map highlights several key poleis (city-states) already prominent or rising throughout the Greek World by 700 BCE:
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- Athens (Attica) – on the cusp of its democratic and cultural ascent.
- Sparta (Laconia) – emerging as a military powerhouse.
- Olympia – pan-Hellenic sanctuary devoted to Zeus and home of the Olympic Games.
- Delphi (on Mt Parnassus) – pan-Hellenic oracle sanctuary devoted to Apollo.
- Thebes – a major city-state that would come to rival Athens and Sparta after the Peloponnesian War but was ultimately destroyed by Alexander the Great.
- Corinth (Isthmus) – a rich trading nexus.
- Delos – a sacred sanctuary to the cult of Apollo in the middle of the Aegean.
- Miletus and Halicarnassus – leading Ionian cities of Asia Minor, seeds of later philosophical thought.
- Byzantium – a strategic colony guarding the passage to the Black Sea.
In summary, this map provides a valuable snapshot of the Greek world around 700 BCE, highlighting the regional divisions of Greek populations and the locations of prominent city-states before the classical period. It shows the widespread Greek presence across the Aegean, not just on the mainland.
