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Mountains cover most of Greece’s mainland
They protect and isolate cities & limit contact between people
Effect: Early Greece never unites with one government
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Abundant water and natural harbors
Almost all of Greece within 50 miles of the coast
Effect: many make living from the seas – fishing, trade, etc.
Some fertile land (BUT not much)
Effect: some farming, and so Greeks will look for more land
Mild climate
Effect: people spend time outside to socialize/discuss
Lived on the island of Crete & traded in Mediterranean region
Known for labyrinth palace at Knossos
Frescoes show scenes of Minoan life and religion
Flourished from 3000-1100 BC
Indo-Europeans from central Asia
Intermarried with native Hellenes on mainland
Set up kingdoms on the Greek Peninsula around hilltop fortresses
Mask of Agamemnon
Adopted Minoan customs and writing
Said to have fought in legendary Trojan War
Setting of Greek Myths & Homer’s epics
Flourished 1900 - 1100 BC
German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered Troy in 1873
The Mycenaean civilization suddenly collapsed around 1100 BC. It entered a dark age from which we have no written records
• One theory is that the Dorians invaded and conquered the Mycenaeans, but this is disputed. We do know Mycenae and the other cities suffered damage.
The Dark Ages
• Greece had its own. No written records from the time exist.
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Move into Greece from the north
Mycenaeans weakened by infighting
Dorians easily won using iron weapons
Dorian period known as a “dark age”
Dark Ages last from about 1100 -800 BC
Dorians known as the Hellenes
Refugees flee to Ionia (west coast of Turkey)
Ionians gradually come back and reintroduce culture
Lion’s Gate Entrance to citadel at Mycenae
Entrance to the tholos tomb in Mycenae. That doorway is 18 feet high. Note the relieving arch. The inner lentil weighs 100 tons. How’d they do that?!
Homer
• THE Greek poet-originally an oral tale
• In writings, the Greeks would often refer to him simply as ‘the poet.’ Everybody knew Homer.
• Wrote the Iliad about the Trojan war and the Odyssey about Odysseus's journey home
• Good stuff and it informs about Greek character
• Arête-means virtue and excellence and it was the Greek heroic ideal. It could be displayed on the battlefield in combat or in sporting events
• And the Odyssey has Cyclops, sirens, monsters, witches, revenge. How can you go wrong with that?
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