1. OA
Pg. 102 – Geography and History question
Pg. 104 – caption question

2. Chapter 5 Early People of the Aegean Global History I Mr. Schoff

3. OA
In 3-5 sentences, describe a story/fairy tale/fable that you heard (now or when you were younger) that you thought was definitely true, yet later on you found out that it was 100% completely false.

4. Let’s read!
Setting the Scene Page 102 in your textbooks

6. Minoan Civilization
Crete was an island, home to a brilliant civilization
Reached its greatest success between B.C.
Success based on trade, not conquest
Set up outposts all over Aegean world
Contact with Egypt and Mesopotamia, acquired ideas and technology that they adapted to their own culture (a.k.a._______ _______?)

7. Palace at Knossos Rulers lived here
Rooms for royal family, banquet halls, and working areas for artisans
Religious shrines
Walls of palace covered with colorful frescoes

8. Minoan Frescoes

9. Minoan Frescoes

10. Palace of Knossos
Leaping dolphins reflect the importance of the sea to the Minoan people
Religious images indicate that they worshiped the bull and a mother goddess
Jumping through the horns of a charging bull

11. Disappearance 1400 B.C., Minoan civilization vanished
Not sure why
May have been due to…
Sudden volcanic eruption on a nearby island
Earthquake may have destroyed the palace
Tidal wave may have drowned the people of the island
Invaders certainly played a role
Mycenaeans (1st Greek-speaking people that we have a written record about)

12. Successful Sea Traders
Mycenaean civilization dominated Aegean sea trade between B.C.
Reached Sicily, Egypt, and Mesopotamia
Learned many skills from the Minoans including art of writing
Absorbed Egyptian and Mesopotamian influences that they later gave to Greeks
They lived in separate city-states
In each, a warrior-king built a thick-walled fortress from which he ruled the surrounding villages
Wealthy rulers – treasure, fine gold ornaments

13. The Trojan War Took place around 1250 B.C.
Mycenaeans best known for their part in Trojan War with Troy, a rich trading city in present-day Turkey
Troy controlled straits that connect the Mediterranean and Black Seas
Greek legend says that the cause of the war was romance-based

14. Romantic Cause
After Trojan Prince Paris kidnapped Helen, beautiful wife of a Greek king, the Mycenaeans sailed to Troy to rescue her
For the next 10 years, they battled until the Greeks seized Troy and burned the city to the ground

15. For centuries, most people thought the Trojan War was just a legend until the 1870s when a wealthy German businessman, Heinrich Schliemann, set out to prove that it is fact-based
Excavated the site of ancient Troy, found evidence of fire and war dating to about 1250 B.C.
Although most details remain lost in legend, today’s historians believe that the Trojan War was an actual event
Legend vs. Fact

16. Fix this…
Based on an island in the Black Sea, Minoans spread their civilization through a series of conquests.

17. Fix this…
Minoan rulers lived in small, undecorated forts.

18. Fix this…
Minoan civilization was wiped out by a virulent plague and marauding invaders from Egypt.

19. Fix this…
Because they were poor sailors, Mycenaeans had to rely on other civilizations to come to them to trade.

20. Fix this…
In the 1870s, Heinrich Schliemann proved that the legendary Trojan War between the Minoans and the Trojans never occurred.

22. The Age of Homer
Dorians invaded Mycenaean civilization not long after the fall of Troy and the Mycenaeans fell apart
Their power faded, people stopped trading, and abandoned cities
From B.C., Greek civilization stepped backward, forgetting many skills, including writing

23. Age of Homer – Iliad and the Odyssey
2 epic poems – learned about life during this time period based on these poems
May have been a combination of authors, but people credit the poems to Homer, who probably lived around 750 B.C.
Blind poet, wandered from village to village, singing of heroic deeds
Passed on orally for generations before they were finally written down

24. Iliad Main source of information on the Trojan War
Even though story involves gods, goddessses and even a talking horse
At the start of the poem, Achilles, mightiest Greek warrior, is sulking in his tent because of a dispute with his commander
Even though the war turns against the Greeks, Achilles stubbornly refuses to listen to pleas that he should rejoin the fighting
He returns to battle after his friend is killed

25. Odyssey
Tells of struggles of the Greek hero Odysseus, and his return home to his wife Penelope, after the fall of Troy
Odysseus encounters a sea monster, a race of one-eyed giants, and a beautiful sorceress who turns men into pigs
Land of Odysseus - History.com

26. Both Poems Tells much about the values of the ancient Greeks
Heroes display honor, courage, and eloquence
“Every man make up his mind to fight
And move on his enemy! Strong as I am,
It’s hard for me to face so many men
And fight with all at once….
And yet I will!”
For almost 3,000 years, the epics of Homer inspired European writers and artists

27. Looking Ahead
Centuries after Dorian invasions, Greeks lived in small, isolated villages
No writing and few contacts with the outside world
They developed a civilization that influenced many parts of the world
These stories became part of the Greek heritage

29. Let’s Review!!!
Write down any 3 facts that you did not know before you took these notes on the Early People of the Aegean