Ancient History Greece: Ancient Greece: General Background

Historical Periods:

Developing Society: Archaic:

The first important society to develop were the Minoans - on the Island of Crete
Named after the mythical King of Crete, Minos - the island was named by Arthur Evans (English Archaeologist, who excavated Knossos)
The estimated population of the Minoans was 250,000 (40,000 in Knossos alone)
The Minoans traded with the people of the Fertile crescent and their palaces became centres of economic activity and political power
It has been suggested that a large earthquake on the island of Thera may have created a tidal wave that engulfed the island of Crete

Settling Greece:

Greece in a mountainous country full of valleys. It is also nearly surrounded by water
Because of their geography, the Greeks were encouraged to settle the land in independent political communities - later known as city states
Each city state had its own political organisation and was truly independent
The largest and most powerful city-state to come about was Mycenae in 1600 - 1100 BC

The Development of Mycenae:

An extremely wealthy, prosperous and powerful state
Archaeological excavations of the area have uncovered swords, weapons and the remains of well-fortified city walls
The Mycenaean city state was a community of warriors
Each city state in the Mycanaean period was independent and under the rule of its own king. The only time the city states united was during the Trojan War

Under Attack:

By 1300 BC, the Greek mainland was under attack by ships from Asia Minor?
By 1000 BC, Mycenae was completely destroyed
The attack became known as the Dorian invasion
The Doric Greeks were supposedly tribes who had left Greece at an earlier time and then returned by 1200 BC

Grecian Dark Ages:

During this period the Greek culture fell into decline
Pottery became less elegant
Burials were less ornate
The building of large structures and public buildings came to an abrupt halt
It did not, however, mark the end of Greek civilisation
Some Greek technological skills survived
The Greek language was preserved by those in areas unaffected by the Dorian invasion

Greek Renaissance:

After 800 BC, a new optimism and adventure flourished
Literature of the period was produced by the great epic poets who wrote of both mortal men and gods
It was the starting point for the Olympic Games (776 BC)
The most famous poet from this time was Homer. He wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey

Classical Greece:

When historians think of Ancient Greece it is inevitably the 5th century BC that comes to attention
This is because it was the age of great historians (e.g Herodotus and Thucydides)
It was the age when Greeks embraced direct democracy
It was the age of human discovery and achievement
It was the age of Warfare, with the Persian and Peloponnesian wars

Rise of Classical Culture:

The period from 500-323 BC is the Classical or Hellenic age of Greek civilisation
The brilliance of the Classical Greek world rested on a blend of the old and new
From the past came a profound religious belief in the just action of the gods and the attainment of virtue in the polis
Such a history helped to develop a specific Greek 'mind' in which the importance of the individual and a rationalistic spirit were key
In this period, it was Athens and Sparta who shaped Greek culture and history

Ancient History Greece