MinoanMycenaeanPhoenician

SETTING THE STAGE Buddhism spread to Southeast Asia and to East Asia mainly through Buddhist traders. In the Mediterranean, the same process took place: traders in the region carried many new ideas from one society to another by the sea. They carried new ways of writing, of governing, and of worshiping their gods.

MinoansDominated trade in

Mediterranean

Lived on Crete in the Aegean Sea

Traded pottery, swords, figurines, and metals

Named after King Minos

Minoans“According to legend,

Minos was a king who owned a half-human, half-bull monster, called the Minotaur (MIHN•uh•TAWR). He kept the monster locked inside a labyrinth, a complicated maze from which no one could escape.”

MinoansKnossos: Minoan capital

Advanced, thriving city…not fortified

Painted walls depicting a graceful, athletic people who loved nature and beautiful objects

WomenHigher rank than

neighboring culturesMother Earth Goddess

Throne Room and Store Room

Throne is a solid block with the back painted with a floral motif. Frescoes contained flowers, trees, water, animals, etc. which brought the outdoors indoors. The bathroom contained a huge tub. There was hot and cold running water.

Linear A and Linear B

Minoans: Linear A was syllabic with a straight line, not deciphered

Mycenaean: Linear B was an early form of Greek and contains trade records and a system of lists including wheels, stored rations paid to textile workers, gifts to deities, and ships stationed along the coast.

MinoansIn 1470 BCE a series of earthquakes

rocked Crete. The quakes were followed by a violent volcanic eruption on the neighboring island of Thera. Imagine the shaking of the earth, the fiery volcanic blast, then a huge tidal wave, and finally a rain of white volcanic ash. The disaster of 1470 B.C. was a blow from which the Minoans never fully recovered. This time, the Minoans had trouble rebuilding their cities. Nonetheless, Minoan civilization did linger on for almost 300 years. After that, invaders from Greece may have taken advantage of their weakened condition to destroy them. Some Minoans fled to the mountains to escape the ruin of the kingdom.

MycenaeanSettled on Greek

mainland around 2000 BCE

Leading city: Mycenae (my-SEE-nee), fortified city

Led by strong rulers and warrior kings

Influenced by and adopted Minoan culture (alphabet, sea trade, pottery, politics, religion…)

First Greek speaking people

Trojan WarAdvanced through

trade AND CONQUEST10 year war:

Mycenaeans vs. the Trojans (Troy)

Homer: wrote the epics, Illiad and the Odyssey

Illiad: Trojan WarOdyssey: Odysseus’

journey home 10 years after the war ended

Grave shafts for the dead. They buried their dead with grave goods for the afterlife

MycenaeanNot long after the Trojan War, Mycenaean

civilization collapsed because of numerous attacks

Dorians move inArt of writing lost, no written records for

400 yearsThis is supposedly when Homer told his

story of Iliad and the Odyssey (maybe 750 to 700 BCE)

Oracle at Delphi

Dorians1100-700’s BCE

Entered from north with iron weapons probably acquired from the Hittites. Ruled by warrior kings

DARK AGES OF GREECE•Trade all but stopped•Poverty increased as people lost skills including writing•Refugees settled in Ionia and the adjoining islands•Responsible for creating polytheistic gods that were immortal and had human characteristics

Greek MythologyDevelop myths: stories

about their godsSought to understand

mysteries of nature and human passion

Zeus: ruler of the gods, lived on Mount Olympus with wife Hera…ladies man…

Athena their daughter, goddess of wisdom

Phoenicians1100BCE Most

powerful along the Med Sea, modern day Lebanon, Israel and Algeria (Carthage)

Wealthy city states spread out…competed with each other…trading centers

Sidon and Tyre: important city-states…known for red-purple dye

PhoeniciansExtensive trade throughout region (to

Spain and Northern AfricaGave them access to many resources:

silver, bronze, copper, glass, woodAwesome

shipbuilders and seafarers

Trade routes as far as East Asia

“Sea peoples”

PhoeniciansCarthage: greatest Phoenician colony in

Northern Africa (Algeria)