3. Dark Age to Archaic Period Flashcards
What is the time period of the dark age?
1200-800 BCE
What are the 6 notable events of the Dark Age?
1100 BCE – Mycenaean palace centres were in ruins- results in culture loss, uninhibited towns
No monumental stone construction
Literacy lost
Trade links broken – lack of bronze, etc.
Widespread disruption around Mediterranean region and Near East
Near East recovers quickly- able to maintain trade
Greece takes longer
What issues arise with the sources of the dark age?
Limited material record-no material finds until after 900 until the end of 700 BCE. No direct record of the Dark age. with the later Greeks not having much knowledge of the time which leads to them not writing about it.
Writing post-Dark Age
Issues with reliability (how do they know)?
Oral poetry became popular which can lead to the stories changing over periods of time.
What is the Homeric question?
If Homer was the true author of his poems.Scholars wonder who Homer is and how involved he was in writing stories. we accept him as the author but others wonder, if he is the true writer. It is very unreliable. We know nothing about him and what might of influenced him.
What happened to the structure of Greek society in the dark ages?
There was a simplified structure of society.
Those tied to elite palace structures were most affected by their disappearance (staff, craftsman, specialist that served the elite)
Agriculture and pastoralism flourished,they were able to grow and sell their own food.
Craftsmen continue with lower level of skill and refinement
There are now small, independent communities-Lack of palace elite at the centre, without this communities were not organized or centralized. Now smaller and independent of one another
When was the great migration and why did it occur? What was the estimate population drop in Greece?
Many people needed to find new homes and jobs (palace staff) People are then pushed out and invade elsewhere.
Population drops were occurring, est. 75% drop in Greece.
Name the 4 distinct groups that formed during the great migration. Name at least 1-2 from each group
- Dorian
Sparta, Argos, Crete, Asia Minor, etc. - Aeolian
Northern Greece, Thebes, etc. - Ionian
Coastal Aegean, Athens, etc. - Achaean/Arcadian
Central Peloponnese
What are the 3 main loses of the Dark Ages and explain.
- Severe economic depression-redistribution of economy, they had to fend for them selves.Writing also lost, with the main purpose to keep the distribution between the palaces. Orally cultural, considering the darkness and trouble of their times and looking at the bronze age as a golden age of wonder and heros.
2. Loss of urban centers Depopulation Small scattered settlements (family) No public architecture- Only homes were built Decreased standard of living
- Deterioration of fine arts-No longer markets, artists had to find new ways to support their family, artistic skills also declined.
Why did the Greeks start using iron? What is an advantage and disadvantage to iron and what was thought of these items?
Bronze disappeared then had to master technology for iron ore.
Lots of iron ore in Greece
Iron is more difficult than making bronze
Iron tools harder than bronze and kept their edge
Considered rare – luxury items
Demand increases
When is the earliest artifacts believed to be from as early as what year?
2000 BCE
What type of settlement did the Greek people live in during the dark ages and who would be considered the head of the household and community?
The settlements were generally very small with only dozens of inhabitants.
Father = head of household = head of community
Center of power was his oikos (household)
takes on the role of head of the community and then settlements can be mixed through marriage
What is a Quasireu and Basileus?
Local level leader (like “mayor”) meaning “King” who were later known as Basileus.
The Basileus is the Chief of village/community
Wealth based in land, animals- they would have the biggest homes.
Informal status as “Big Man”
Where are the 2 homes of important leaders of the time, describe their homes and what they told of the time?
Nichoria located in Western Messenia, southwestern
Peloponnese.
Large home in settlement- Home of local chieftain, he would have a higher level of wealth
Space in the style of Mycenaean megaron
Used as a Communal storehouse and religious center
Lefkandi
Island of Euboea (east coast of Greece)
Chieftain’s house nearly 3x size as at Nichoria
Burials c. 950 BCE- graves contained expensive luxuries. Man was cremated and laid with iron weaponry, women gold ornament and jewellery. Jewellery has been dated 600 years earlier. possible family heirloom, found remains of 4 arses. the horses are further evidence of further wealth. This shows that there was evidence of :
Social hierarchy
Wealth in the community
Trade
Who was Homer? What were his stories?
Homer was the poet behind the folk saga of the Trojan war which is about 10-year siege of Troy, Asia Minor (modern Turkey). It was shared through oral poetry for generations
and the “Ultimate edition” finally written down is the Iliad.
Iliad = 51 days in last year of war
Odyssey = return home of Odysseus (a Greek chieftain; Ithaca)
Neither story narrates the entire war, it is assumed that the audience already knows the story and characters.
When was the real Trojan war and when did Homer write his saga? What does this imply?
Real Trojan War? c. 13th century BCE
Homer writes 500 years later
How would Homer have knowledge of the Knowledge of details? Idealizing the past “Epic distancing” Surviving evidence (art, architecture, material culture) Mix with understanding of his own world
these stories were told during the dark age. Making the bronze age heroized, bigger better and more fantastic. Hector picks up stone that the poet said that 2 men best in the land couldn’t pick it up. They serve the purpose of epic distancing, it would of been impossible for homer to know some of these details. All the surviving evidence would have given him the ideas. using some of these features homer over lay them to a cultural and society that he understands , which is the dark age.
The illiad focuses on two different social structures what are they and examples from the story.
1.Leadership:
Numerous local chieftains of Greece gathering to attack Troy E.g., Agamemnon (Mycenae), Menelaus (Sparta), Odysseus (Ithaca)
Council of men with Agamemnon as leader-Greek men at a council, it is said that we cant all be king, one man must be supreme
Men not compelled to stay and fight under Agamemnon’s order- Took Achilles prize
Odysseus speaks well and convinces them to stay
2.Social Values:
Respect expected for suppliant priest
Agamemnon doesn’t follow proper order and the gods punish the Greeks
Economy through pillaging and war spoils
Details through description of Achilles’ shield
What is a chieftain?
Basileis (sg. basileus)
Hereditary position- the title passed from father to son
Competency also required
Skill in warfare and public speaking
Who was the paramount Basileus in the Iliad and why?
Basileis organized under a paramount basileus (here = Agamemnon)
Agamemnon has more
Assembly of aristocracy (other chieftains)
one leader- Agamemnon . what makes him their leader? the others are kings but they follow him because he has more, more forces, he is king among kinds, there is a assembly present, Agamemnon is not a leader by birth rite, only can stay in charge if he can coheres into his favour.
What are the 4 social values that are seen throughout the Iliad?
Kleos – fame/glory
Agathos – bravery
Aidos – shame
Arete – excellence
The Trojan war began because of the shame of Helen being taken away, the heros showing their bravery , Achilles was told by his mother he would gain grate fame and he would die but still went because of the importance of fame. They idealized the bronze age hero’s. the character demonstrate success and what happens when values aren’t honoured, how the people related to one another through these appropriate social values.
How are reciprocity and xenia showcased in the Iliad?
Reciprocity - mutual and fair exchange
Key to social relationships in Homeric world E.g., fair apportioning of war spoils (Agamemnon vs Achilles) -the leader would get the first share and the rest would be divided equally among the me. if this would t be done he wouldn’t lose his follower. Greedy could be equally insulting as cowardly.
Xenia – hospitality, guest-friendship- this was tied to man and the gods as one had to be hospitable and honour their guest without asking anything in return.
Odysseus and the Phoenicians- they do not ask him any question about who he is or where he is from before they offer to help him
Odysseus and Polyphemus the Cyclops- Polyphemus asks who is and where he is from and the violently attacks,kill and eat his companion
What happens between Agamemnon and Achilles?
Leadership based on ability to command power- social organization that supports the leader as long as the supports them. its not who you are but what you can do that defines the leadership in the dark age.
Always open to challenge (better fighter, better speaker)- which leads Achilles to speak out about Agamemnon.
Agamemnon gives up his war spoils, takes Achilles’
Dishonoured Achilles (he earned his fair share of spoils)- This leads to Achilles refusal to fight
Agamemnon went against proper customs-To appease the god Apollo Agamemnon now needs to give up his war spoils and he wants it replaced
What did the Iliad show about burial and graves sites of the time?
Heroic/ “epic” burial-
E.g., Funeral of Patroclus followed by the funeral games.
Grave marker – memory of greatness lives on- the higger the bound the more important you are
When was the Greek Renaissance?
900-700 BCE
What changes happen during the Greek Renaissance? (8)
Transitioning out of Dark Age
Increase in trade- olive, wine, grains
Rise in agriculture over pastoralism- great importance on farmers for years to come.
Literacy returns – development of a Greek alphabet
Production of luxury items- fine gold jewelry, ivory carving, revival of craft skills, shows trade coming from abroad. Bronze appears again
Overall rise in prosperity
Development of formalized communities – defined
borders and identities- houses are better built. No major changes in materials or styles. No communal buildings.
Panhellenism- many rival states sharing common cultural, comparable to Europe. Start of formation of individual states developing borders with separate identities. A united Greek identity stayed to spread.- Panhellenism. Language untied the Greeks, they had their own dialect but all spoke Greek. Shared language mythology and religion. States would adopt other practice. Competitions would occur.
