Unit 4: The Greeks

Chapter 9: Beginnings

·        Greek civilization was combination of Minoan and Mycenean cultures.

Section 1: The Minoans (MI)

·        MI civilization started on island of Crete around 2800 B.C.

·        Grew wheat, barley, olives, and grapes and traded surplus for other items.

·        Were good carpenters and started to build ships to trade with other areas.

·        Ships were built to be fast and were defended well to avoid pirates.

·        Eventually defeated pirates.

·        MI were first important sea-faring civilization (were before Phoenicians) and traveled far and traded many goods.

The People

·        Men farmed, fished, raised livestock, and served in Navy.

·        Women took care of household, hunted, and went to sporting events.

·        Sporting events were very popular in Crete and they had an arena.

·        Sports included boxing and bull leaping.

Cities and Palaces

·        Palace was center of city instead of temple.

·        Cities did not need walls since had navy to protect them.

·        Large city called Knossos.

·        Palace at Knossos served as government building, temple, factory, and warehouse.

·        Art included frescoes that were large watercolor paintings on plaster.

·        Had running water in bathroom.

·        Palace had several entrances so was confusing and formed a labyrinth (like a maze).

·        Labyrinth also means “House of the Double Ax”.

·        Merchants and other richer people lived next to the palace.

·        Artisans lived further away.

·        Houses were made of sun-dried bricks with wooden beams.

·        Entered houses through ladders.

Rulers and Religion

·        Rulers of Crete were Priest-Kings.

·        Sacred mountain was Mount Juktas.

·        Had many gods, but main god was Mother Earth.

·        Built shrines for worship to gods where they left offerings.

Fall of the Minoans

·        Unknown why MI civilization fell but lost control of sea by 1400 BC.

·        Legend of Theseus and the Minotaur one myth as to why fell.

Section 2: The Myceneans (MY)

·        Originally the MY came from southern Russia around 2000 BC.

·        Gradually made they way to Greece.

·        Built fortress-palaces on top of hills where people took shelter in palace if attacked.

·        Megaron was a square room with a fireplace where king held meetings in the palace.

·        Land was divided into estates which were worked by slaves or tenants (people who worked other people’s land).

·        Landowners gave king weapons and products in exchange for protection.

·        Keep large herds of cattle and hunted.

Traders and Pirates

·        Soon after MY settled they were visited by MI.

·        They started to imitate the MI including; language, artwork, and ships.

·        MY major crop was olives and it made them rich.

·        Olive oil was used as fuel, in cooking, and spread on their bodies.

·        Were warriors too with large wooden/animal skin shields, bronze armor, spears, and swords.

·        They started to become pirates and became main sea power by 1400 BC.

Trojan War

·        Famous attack of MY on Troy which is located on Asia Minor, probably took place in 1200s BC.

·        Trojans had made money by taxing ships through Black Sea.

·        500 years after war Homer wrote about war in The Iliad.

·        Also wrote The Odyssey which detailed voyage home of Odysseus from Trojan War.

·        Homer based story on legend, but added other details of everyday life.

A “Dark Age”

·        After defeating Troy the MY started fighting amongst themselves in civil wars.

·        MY fighting each other led to them being weak and they were conquered by the Dorians.

·        Dorians had iron swords which shattered bronze swords.

·        Many MY left mainland for islands off of Asia minor called Ionia.

·        This led to a “Dark Age” in Greece where trade and art stopped. 

·        People started over by going back to farming and hunting and kings ruled small areas.

·        People started to form different communities and began calling themselves Hellenes or Greeks.