One of the most significant contributing factors was their location on the Mediterranean, which made trade far easier, while one of the factors contributing to the fall was their loss of the Peloponnesian War.
The following is a list of contemporary ethnic groups. Membership of an ethnic group tends to be associated with shared cultural heritage, ancestry, history, homeland, language or dialect, the term culture specifically including aspects such as religion, mythology and ritual, cuisine, dressing style,
The Silk Roads was a route that started in China and ended in Eastern Europe. It ended near Turkey (today's) and our Mediterranean sea.
Yes, it is true that slash-and-burn agriculture helped keep the soil fertile for early farmers, since this kept the soil rich with nutrients from the remains of the crops that were harvested.