Mycenaean Period, 1440-1100 BCE Flashcards
What was Mycenae Greece?
Mycenae was an ancient Greek city that was located on a small hill between two larger hills on the fertile Argolid Plain in Peloponnese, Greece.
The citadel (fortress) was one of the greatest cities of Mycenaean civilisation that played a vital role in classical Greek culture.
What kind of society and system of government did Mycenae have?
It was a palace society with a feudal system.
Why and how did Mycenae Greece come to an end?
Its unclear what caused the destruction of Mycenae. It ends abruptly, without direct end.
What was the Leading Theory of Mycenae’s end?
Mycenae underwent years of civil strife and social upheaval.
Dorians (Barbarian tribe) and Heraclids (Descendants of Hercules) then invaded, sacking all of the Mycenaean strongholds except Athens.
Mycenae may have further suffered at the hands of raiders from the sea.
What were other theories of Mycenae’s end?
Natural disasters (Earthquakes, Volcanic Eruption, Drought or Famine).
Mycenae also took part in the Persian Wars, it was discovered in ruins in 2nd Century AD by the Greek geographer, Pausanias.
Argos also conquered Mycenae in the Persian Wars, it was neutral before.
How was society structured for the Mycenaeans?
- Mycenaeans also likely engaged in mercenary wars, they were known to periodically raid and loot the coastal towns of Egyptians and Hittites.
- Mycenaean strongholds = Workshops produced an array of both utilitarian and luxury goods.
- Entrance to the city was the “Lion Gate”.
- Mycenaeans enjoyed a prosperous rule over the Greek mainland and areas around the Aegean Sea.
- The elite lived in comfort.
- The King ruled over a highly organised Feudal System.
How did later Greeks including those of Homers time, interpret the Mycenaeans?
In the Iliad, Homer describes Mycenae as “rich in gold”.
How legitimate was the Trojan War and what evidence do we have?
Many people believe that the Trojan War was just a myth but many people believe that it could be history. There is evidence for both sides of the debate. For instance Troy was a real place and the Greeks and the Trojans did often battle.
There is no evidence that Helen of Troy existed, Homer was born hundreds of years after the war, part of his story was fiction.
https://greekgeek-on-the-trojan-war.weebly.com/front-page/what-is-some-evidence-that-the-trojan-war-did-exist
Palaces were seen as divine by later Greeks. What Mythological monster made the walls?
“Cyclopean walls” were made by cyclops as they were big walls, no human could have built the temples as they were too meticulously crafted.
What “Ages” are followed on after the end of Mycenaean Greece?
The Greek Dark Ages.
Are the Iliad and Odyssey set in Mycenaean Greece? What century BC?
Yes. Homer writes it 8th (700-799) century BC (Before Christ).
He romanticizes it with adapted characters.
How did the Odyssey survive for so long?
His epics were passed down orally through tradition and word of mouth (Bards) as society was illiterate.
What was the impact of the oral nature of the poetry?
- It became very popular, Odysseus didn’t have to be named and everyone knew who was being spoken about.
- It improved peoples memory, as people had greater memorizes back then so they could fully submerge into the plot of the epic.
How has the text survived and made it to modern day translation?
- Writing was developing during the time of Homer.
- Text was standardized (6th century) for recitation at Greek festivals so it fit a certain guideline/requirement which proved there were different adaptations of the epic.
- 3rd Century = Many texts had been collected for the library at Alexandria.
