1. The Minos and Mycenae
Bronze Age Cultures

2. Discovery Heinrich Schleimann Arthur Evans 1871: discovered Troy
1876: discovered Mycenae
Arthur Evans
1900: Knossos

3. Minoan Civilization Located on Crete
By 2100 BC, small city-states populated the island
Knossos is most well known palace complex ( BC)
“Redistributive” system
Crossroad for Mediterranean trade

5. Linear A 1900, developed pictographic writing
Developed into more advanced writing: syllabary writing system
Used for management and economic records
Not deciphered

6. Social Order Elite lived in palace area
Unsure whether one person ruled all others
Priest-king?
Spacious villas in countryside that may have been for elite families as well
Majority of people lived and worked in small villages
Ordinary houses were roomier than those in Greece or in the Near East
Fished, farmed, raised livestock
Slaves worked in all areas of Minoan society

7. Religion Centered on fertility
Private shrines in palaces, villas, and houses
Communal rituals outdoors
Bull-leaping
Minoan “Lady”

8. Art and Architecture
Reminiscent of Near East, but adapted to fit Minoan culture
Serene, lighthearted, playful scenes
Palace was decorated with many frescos
Religious rituals, daily activities, animal or plant scenes
Conveyed sense of movement and life
Organic and colorful architecture

11. Minos, Theseus, and the Minotaur
The Cretan Bull
Struggle for power
Poseidon sent a white bull as a sign of approval
Minos was supposed to sacrifice the bull but did not
Poseidon caused Pasiphaë to fall in love with bull
The Cow Suit
Pasiphae made Daedalus craft a wooden cow suit for her
She attracted the Cretan bull and the Minotaur was born
The Labyrinth
Constructed by Daedalus

12. Myth Continued Conflict with Athens Theseus
Minos goes to war with Athens to avenge son (cause of death disputed)
Defeats Athens
Demands tribute of 7 young men and 7 young women every 9 years to be sacrificed to the Minotaur
Theseus
Son of Aegeus, king of Athens
Volunteers to go on third sacrifice
Ariadne, Minos’ daughter, falls in love with Theseus and helps him navigate the labyrinth with string
Theseus slays the Minotaur

13. Myth Continued Journey Home
Theseus abandons Ariadne on Naxos and Dionysus marries her
Theseus had told his father that his ship would display white sails if successful
He forgets and still has black sails
Father throws himself off a cliff into the sea

14. The Destruction of the Minoans
Trading with the mainland Greeks beginning in 2000 BC
Greeks even borrowed writing system
By 1450, the mainland Greeks had taken over and were living on Crete
Most palaces burned to the ground
Knossos remained center for Greek rule on Crete

15. Mycenaeans 1600-1200 Greeks on mainland Greece
Period named for Mycenae
Characterized by lots of wealth, gold, and war
Trojan war heroes: Agamemnon, Menelaus, Odysseus, Achilles, Ajax, Nestor
Mycenaean Towns: Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos, Athens, Ithaca, Argos, Troy, Thebes

16. Linear B
Destruction of Minoans by the Greeks (Mycenaeans) is known because of tablets
Unknown writing system - unsure what language it was representing
Michael Ventris broke the code in the 1950s
Realized that the Linear B writing system was representing the Greek Language
These tablets asserted three things:
Mycenaeans spoke Greek
Mycenaeans adapted writing system from Minoans
Mycenaeans controlled Crete by 1450s

17. Shaft Graves and Tholoi
Shaft graves: rectangular pits that would hold multiple burials
Filled with precious materials such as gold, silver, bronze, ivory
Tholos tomb: large stone chambers shaped liked beehives
Also filled with riches and gold
Treasury of Atreus
“Mask of Agamemnon” found within

18. Palaces Located on hills for defense Small and highly fortified
Not as luxurious as Minoan palaces
Martial decorative themes
Palaces not unified
Feuds, fragile alliances, battles
Some towns may have been loosely connected with the ruler of Mycenae as the superior

19. Social Order Hierarchical society Wanax = the king
War leaders under the wanax
Priests and Priestesses
Administrative officials, Religious Administrators
Producers: farmers, herders, artiscans, fishermen, laborers
Slaves
Wanax and high ranked officals lived in citadel
Lesser officials lived in lower town
Most lived in country villages

20. Religion Not a lot known
Names of major gods and goddesses of later Greeks appear often
Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hermes, Athena, Artemis
Maybe Apollo, Ares, and Dionysus
Also worshipped other cult gods
Not sure if the gods had the same role as they did in later Greek religion

21. Collapse of Mycenaean Culture
By end of 1100, palaces had burned down, been abandoned, and razed to the ground
A few towns remained as smaller villages beneath the ruined hill top citadel
Greece was not alone in destruction - occurred all over Mediterranean region
The “sea peoples”?
Reported to have attacked Egypt as well
Troy was also sacked during this time ( )
Attributed to Mycenaeans, but may have been the sea peoples
Natural Disaster?
Dorians?
Greek speak people from northern and western Greece