1. Chapter Four Section One
World History
Chapter Four
Section One

2. Early People of the Aegean
Island of Crete – cradle of early civilization in the Mediterranean
Influenced by Egyptians and Mesopotamians
Aegean Sea –
People of Crete – Minoans – after Minos – King of Crete
Successful because of trade
Came in contact with many people and adopted ideas such as writing and architecture

3. Minoan Art Knossos – capital of Crete Large palace for King there
Had many rooms and shrines – areas dedicated to the gods
Walls were covered in frescoes – water color paintings done on wet plaster
Paintings show Minoan culture and society
Worshipped the bull and a mother goddess
Showed women moving around freely

4. End of Minoans By 1400 B.C. – Minoans had vanished
Not sure why they disappeared
Volcanic eruption?
Earthquake?
Invaders? – We know that the Mycenaean's invaded and had some part in the destruction of Minoan society

5. Mycenae Inhabited the Greek mainland before taking over Crete
Sea traders – went to Sicily, Italy, Egypt, Mesopotamia
Learned from conquering the Minoans – writing
Lived in separate city-states on the mainland of Greece – each city-state had a warrior-king in charge who built a wall around the city

6. The Trojan War Mycenaean's best known for their part in the Trojan War
Rivalry between Mycenae and Troy
Troy was also a trading city and controlled vital straits – narrow water passages
Legend made the war more romantic when the focus was put on Helen of Troy – wife of Greek King - kidnapped by Paris of Troy – Mycenaean's sail to Troy

7. Trojan War
Two sides fight for ten years before Troy is defeated and burnt to the ground
Story thought of as legend for a long time
Heinrich Schliemann – excavated the site of ancient Troy – found evidence of fire and war dating at 1250 B.C.
Most details lost in legend – almost all scholars believe it actually happened

8. Homer
Mycenaean's were attacked and defeated by the Dorians – people from the north of Greece
People abandoned cities and trade declined
The art of writing was lost – the Greek civilization took a step backwards
Epic Poem – long narrative poem that tells the story of a hero and usually has cultural significance

9. Iliad Iliad – written by Homer
Blind poet that wandered from village to village telling of heroic deeds
Passed orally for generations before being written down
Iliad – chief source for information about the Trojan war
Odyssey – tells of the struggles of the Greek hero Odysseus and his return home to wife after troy was defeated – encounters sea monsters, one-eyed giants, sorceresses that turn men into swine
Both show the values of the Greeks – honor, courage, eloquence