THE MYCENAEANS

THE MYCENAEANS -The Mycenaean period, also known as the Late Helladic Period, took place roughly between 1550BC & 1150 BC - The history of the Mycenaean's was relatively unknown until it found it’s place in the poetry of Homer depicting the Mycenaean War against Troy - Originally it was thought that this story was pure fiction until the Mycenaean cities of Mycenae & Tiryns were discovered

THE MYCENAEANS -The Mycenaean derived much of their culture from the Minoans, but with some dramatic differences: - Like the Minoans the monarch served as the bureaucrats, but unlike the Minoans he did not share his vast wealth - The Mycenaean King was a warlord & was constantly geared for invasion and battle - There cities were heavily fortified & their art work depicted warfare & hunting

THE MYCENAEANS - The principal Mycenaean towns were well fortified. The town could be situated on an acropolis, against a large hill as in Mycenae, or on the coastal plain - They also used smaller fortress in order to maintain military control in faraway regions - In constant preparation for war, cities always were built with a well or cistern at their disposal

THE MYCENAEANS -They travelled abroad in search of both war & commerce - They traded raw materials such as oils & animal skins for jewellery & other goods from Crete, Asia Minor, & Egypt - They were also not above piracy - The combination of success in warfare & commerce created powerful rulers - Similar to the Egyptians, the Mycenaean's built large elaborate tombs for their rulers as they had great beliefs in the afterlife

THE MYCENAEANS -their religion was polytheistic (multiple gods) - they also were willing to add gods to their religion from other belief systems - Dyeus, most likely a sky god was their supreme god, comparable with the Greek God Zeus - They eventually would adopt the Minoan Goddesses & associated them with Dyeus - The Greek Pantheon is not a reflection of the Mycenaean system other then the Zeus-like supreme being

THE MYCENAEANS- the end -the end was marked by destructions at key locations including Mycenae - Alteration to defence system during this period suggest a growing insecurity - This was not a period of great financial crisis - explanations for the decline of the civilization concerning climate change, & earthquakes are considered more controversial. -The two most common theories are population movement and internal conflict. The first attributes the destruction of Mycenaean sites to invaders, sometimes referred to as “Sea people”

THE MYCENAEANS- the end -it has also been theorized that a rebellion by the lower class could have brought about an upheaval -theories have also been combined, suggesting the rise of both new ethnic and social groups could have played a role -The end occurs after a slow decline of the Mycenaean civilization, which lasted many years before dying out. - Whatever were the causes, the Mycenaean civilization disappeared when the sites of Mycenae and Tirynth were destroyed and lost their importance. - The fall of the Mycenaean civilization brought about the Greek Dark Ages

THE MYCENAEANS- the end Film- “Ancient Greece: The Mycenaeans”

THE MYCENAEANS - READ 104-113 (NOT 107 & 108) - Answer #1-3 on page 113