The Ancient Minoans and Mycenaeans were early Greek civilizations. The Minoans lived on the island of Crete where they built palaces and established a trade network, gaining power through trade. They were later conquered by the Mycenaeans who lived on the Greek mainland and spoke an early form of Greek. After the Trojan War, Greece entered a Dark Age period of poverty and isolation as trade collapsed and people moved to islands or Asia Minor for protection. City-states later emerged from villages and were ruled by kings or aristocrats.

1. AncientGreece Unit 6 Section 1 EarlyGreekCivilization Miss DenisseLopez

2. TheGeography of Greece Greece: Peninsula and islands. Montainsmajorlandform Islands are mountainpeaks AllGreecewassurroundbywaterorbymountains. Small areaforfarm 1/5 of thelandisgoodforfarming Greeksbecametraders and sailors Difficulttomeetwithothercommunities and foughtamongthem. Developedcustoms, beliefs, gods, language http://phschool.com/atschool/mapmaster/common_maps/mapviewer.html

4. GreekCivilizations Minoan Livedontheisland of Crete. Created a sea tradenetworkbecause of hislocation. Gainedpowerbytrade. DevelopedMinoanwritingfoundonclaytablets. BuiltpalacesonKnossos. Paintedwalls. Statuesfoundsuggesttheyworshipmainlygoddesses. ConqueredbyMycenaeans. Mycenaeans Livedmainland. Writing and scripts showedthatspokeanearlyform of Greek Gainedpowerbyconquering.

5. The Ancient Minoans and Mycenaeans The Greeks trace their culture back to two earlier cultures known as the Minoans and the Mycenaeans. The Minoans were named after the legendary King Minos. A large palace had been discovered at Knossos on the island of Crete. It is believed to have been built around 2000 B.C. The Minoans grew grapes, grain, and olives and traded with the Greeks, Egyptians, and others in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The Mycenaeans were from the Peloponnesian Peninsula. They invaded and conquered the Minoans on Crete. The most famous of the Mycenaean kings was named Agamemnon. He was a key figure in the Trojan War, as retold in Homer’s poem the Iliad. The Mycenaeans were then conquered by the Dorians. This began the period in Greek history known as the Dark Ages.

6. DarkAges of Greece AftertheTrojanWar Greececollapsed Povertyeverywhere No trade Peoplehadtoraisefood (growcrops and raiseanimals) People moved toislands and to Asia Minor Traditions, history and customswerepassedonbyword of mouth. Peoplesettlednearmountainsforprotection and laterformvillages. Builtfortifications and otherstructuresforprotection.

7. GoverningAncientGreece Villagesformcities and wereformednearanacropolis. Greekcity-statesformed and ruledby a kingorchief. Bytheend of Greece’sDarkAgeswereruledbyaristocrats. Aristocratscontrolled : land, horses, chariots and weapons. Greekstrade olive oil, marble, and more toforeigncountries. City-Statesbecamericher and a middleclass of merchants and artisantsweredeverloped.

8. MiddleClasscouldnotaffordhorses and chariotsinsteadusedarmor, sword and spears. Militarychangedfromthearistocratstothemerchants and artisans. Aristocratswereoverthrownfromthegovernment and replacedbytyrants. Tyrantssupportedmiddle and workingclass, butsometimesweretooharsh and cruel. Manycity-statesoverthrowntyrants and implementeddemocracy

9. In Athens democracywasfullydeveloped. Solon a leader in Athens reformedthelaw, canceledalldebts, moneyowedand freedcitizentswhohadbeenenslaved. Allowedadultcitizento debate importantlaw. 1/5 werecitizens in Athens (onlymenand peoplethatcamefromcitizenfamilies). Enslaved, womenormenwithnoncitizenparentscouldnotbecitizensorparticiated in thegovernment. Citizens of Athens were free and self-governing.

10. ClassworkActivity ExplainwhysomeonemightsaytheancientGreekswereallislanders. Howdidthegeography of Greeceaffecttheway in whichpeoplelived? WhywasCretean ideal locationfortheMinoancivilizationtodevelop trading connectionswithpeoplefromothercountries? Vocabularywords: Peninsula – Acropolis – Aristocrats – Tyrant - Democracy HOMEWORK: Get online to PHSchool.com Web Code: lbd-2601

11. AncientGreekepicsabouttheTrojanWar The Iliad The story tells about Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, which is married to Menelaus, who is prince of the Greeks. She was kidnapped by Paris, prince of the Trojans, and was taken to Troy, where she falls in love with him. Menelaus wants her back, and so he launches 1,000 ships from Greece to Troy. Then, a massive war began between the Greeks and the Trojans on the plain in front of the walled city of Troy. At one point the Trojans set fire to the Greek ships and they thought they were beaten, but then Achilles, the hero of this story, summons the river, causes a flood and puts the fires out. Achilles then leads the Greeks and they defeated the Trojans and kill their King, Hector. TheOdyssey This story describes how Odysseus, also a hero of the war, got back to Greece after the Trojan War. Odysseus lost loads of his crew, got lost, and ended up meeting Sirens, a goddess, a Cyclops and various other monsters. He also nearly got killed by the sea god, Poseidon, and nearly fell into a massive whirlpool. Meanwhile, his wife Penelope was left at home. All the local men thought Odysseus was dead, and they tried to get her to marry them.

12. WritesomecharacteristicsfromAncientGreece