1. THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN
EARLY STATES OF THE CLASSICAL AGE

2. MINOAN SOCIETY Minoans Island of Crete State Government
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

3. MINOAN CRETE

4. 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

5. IMAGES OF MYCENAEA

6. THE PHOENICIANS The Phoenicians Phoenicians were famous merchants
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

7. PHOENICIAN MEDITERRANEAN

8. ETRUSCANS Etruscan City-States 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

9. ETRUSCAN WORLD

10. EARLY ROMAN STATE The early kingdom of Rome: 753 – 509 BCE Society
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

11. EARLY ROMAN WORLD