THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANE

ANEARLY STATES OF THE CLASSICAL

AGE

MINOAN SOCIETYMINOAN SOCIETY• Minoans

– Minoan society arose on Crete, late 3rd millennium B.C.E.– Main center was Knossos– Takes name from legendary king of Knossos, Minos – Lavish palaces at Knossos, between 2000 and 1700 B.C.E. – Linear A, a kind of written language, is found

• Island of Crete – From 2200 to 1450 B.C.E., center of Mediterranean commerce – Received early influences from Phoenicia and Egypt – Established colonies on Cyprus and islands in the Aegean Sea

• State Government– City-states headed by kings– State seems to have functioned more along lines of democracy– Aristocracy was counterbalanced by rich merchants

• Decline of Minoan Society – After 1700 B.C.E., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis – After 1450 B.C.E., wealth attracted a number of invaders – By 1100 B.C.E., Crete fell under foreign (Hellenic) domination

MINOAN CRETEMINOAN CRETE

MYCENAEAN GREECE• Mycenaean society

– Indo-European immigrants settled in area, 2000 B.C.E.– Adapted Minoan Linear A into their script Linear B – Fortified agricultural settlements in Peloponnesus – Most important settlement was Mycenae – Society resembled Aryan: emphasis on war, trade– Kingdoms ruled by strongest of nobles; constant strife

• Chaos in the eastern Mediterranean 1100 to 800 BCE– Mycenaeans engaged in Trojan war, about 1200 B.C.E.

• Troy may have been a Hittite city-state and trade rival• Tomb of Agamemnon, Troy excavated by von Schliemann • Recorded by Homer in the Illiad and the Odyssey

– More invasions by Hellenic tribes – “Sea Peoples”

• Later Hellenic invaders moved by sea along coasts• Seemed to have raided into Palestine, Egypt as Philistines

IMAGES OF IMAGES OF MYCENAEAMYCENAEA

THE PHOENICIANS• The Phoenicians

– Lived between the Mediterranean and mountains of Lebanon

• Composed of city-states who were rivals: Tyre, Sidon, Byblos• Local government was led by king; aristocratic oligarchies

– Turned to industry and trade because of their meager lands

• By 2500 B.C.E., dominated trade in the Mediterranean basin • Established colonies in Cyprus, Sicily, Spain, north Africa

– Culturally they were part of the Mesopotamian/Cuneiform world

– Developed their own alphabet to make writing easier

• Phoenicians were famous merchants– “Let the buyer beware” was Greek phrase about the

Phoenicians– Specialized in purple dye, purple cloth, silver, gold– Carried goods of other peoples to distant lands

• Carthage– The chief Phoenician colony in North Africa was Carthage– Eventually became chief Phoenician city due to trade– An aristocratic republic run as an oligarchy.– Wealth based on trade; came to rule Spain, Sardinia

PHOENICIAN MEDITERRANEA

N

ETRUSCANS• The Etruscans

– Probably migrated from Anatolia • Conquered local peoples• Formed ruling aristocracy

– Dominated Italy from 8th to 5th centuries B.C.E.

• Expanded into Po River and South to Greeks• Created first local civilization in Italy

• Etruscan City-States– 12 leading city-states

• Were constantly at war• Favored kings with aristocratic oligarchy

– Etruscan Society• Agriculture was very important• Dominated trade in area; traded with Greeks • Women seem to have had some rights in society• Borrowed Greek alphabet; invented arch• Religion was dark polytheism, superstitious

ETRUSCAN

WORLD

EARLY ROMAN STATE• The early kingdom of Rome: 753 – 509 BCE

– A small state arose of the Tiber River• Legendary founders = Romulus and Remus• People were Italics of the Latin tribe

– State was a kingdom with an Etruscan king• Local Roman aristocracy resented Etruscan ruling

style• Expanded slowly and quietly for around 200 years

– Easy access to the Mediterranean• Trade routes led through Rome• Traded with Greeks, Etruscans, Carthaginians and

Kelts

• Society– Agriculture, warfare were typical of Etruscans– Society dominated by aristocracy called patricians– Religion borrowed heavily from Greeks, Etruscans

EARLYROMANWORLD