Final answer:
The statement that mountains and seas brought Greek city-states together is false. Geography often led to separate city-states, but shared culture, language, religion, and Panhellenic events fostered a unified Greek identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that mountains and seas brought the Greek city-states together is false. While the geography of Greece includes many mountainous regions and seas, these natural features often acted as barriers that led to the development of separate and independent city-states (poleis), rather than uniting them. However, despite the physical divisions, the ancient Greeks were bound together culturally through a shared language, religion, and identity.
The Greeks developed their civilizations around these geographical features, establishing distinct political entities. The regional differences and difficulties in land travel due to rugged terrain contributed to their political fragmentation. However, the sea facilitated travel and trade amongst the city-states and beyond, promoting interaction, cultural exchange, and occasional cooperation, particularly during shared events like the Panhellenic festivals and the Olympic Games, which fostered a sense of Greek unity.
Thus, while the terrain contributed to the autonomous development of city-states, other factors such as shared religious practices and the establishment of Panhellenic sites were more instrumental in creating a sense of unity and cultural identity among the diverse Greek polities.