Chapter 5: Ancient Greece Unit 1: Cultures of the Mountains and the Sea World History Core

Theme Cultural Interaction: The roots of Greek culture are based on interaction of Mycenaean, Minoan, and Dorian cultures Minoans Mycenaean Dorian Used ships to trade goods Had a writing system (Phoenicians) Came from Indo-European migrates Borrowed from Minoan culture Spoke a kind of Greek Not as advanced No writing system

Why is it important now? The seeds of much of western cultural heritage were planted during this time period.

TERMS Mycenaean Trojan War Dorian Homer Epic Myth

Setting the Stage Greece was a collection of separate areas Didn’t unite because of geographical conditions 3000 BC Minoans developed on Crete Mainland Greece: people from Black Sea and Anatolia migrated and settled that area

Geography Shapes Greek Life Mountainous peninsula in Mediterranean Sea 2000 islands in Aegean and Ionian Sea Land on eastern edge of Aegean were part of Greece

Geography Shapes Greek Life The Sea Provided important trade routes IMPORTANT: Greeks lacked natural resources such as timber, metal, crops/agriculture

Geography Shapes Greek Life The Land Mountains cover ¾ of Greece Run from SW to SE along Balkan Peninsula Divided land (HUGE IMPACT ON POLITICAL LIFE) Never united under one government=but people were extremely loyal to their cities Land difficult to travel ¼ of Greece is fertile valleys (broken up) Lack fresh water for irrigation

Geography Shapes Greek Life The Climate Varied climate 48* in winter/80* in summer Outdoor way of life Leisure time spent outside Athletics, markets, festivals, worship, etc.

Mycenaean Civilization Develops Migrated from SW Asia Settled in Mycenae Southern Greece Steep, rocky, ridge 20ft. protective wall Strong Warrior-King

Mycenaean Civilization Develops Contact with Minoans Trade or war? Saw value of seaborne trade Sailed through Mediterranean Sea stopping at Anatolia, Syria, Crete, Egypt, and Italy Adopted writing system and decorated vases Also: religion, art, politics, and literature

Mycenaean Civilization Develops The Trojan War 1200 BC Mycenaean’s fought a 12 year war with Troy (an independent trading city in Anatolia) Back story: Trojan Prince Paris runs off with Spartan King Menelaus wife Helen Menelaus gets help from brother Mycenaean King Agamemnon to fight the Trojans Calls on Achilles, the great warrior, to aid in this venture The Greeks finally enter the city by leaving a giant wooden horse as a gift to the city and burns it to the ground

Mycenaean Civilization Develops The Trojan War continued… Fact of Fiction? 1870s excavations by German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann found evidence of real city and events Homer. Blind man Greatest story teller between 750-700BC Through Homer’s stories people learned about early Greek history The Iliad: Trojan War The Odyssey: Journey home of Odysseus after Trojan War

The Greek Culture Declines 1200 BC Mycenaean civilization collapses New group developed called Dorians No as developed Greece lost language and art Greeks Create Myths: Stories about Gods and Goddesses Used to understand the mysteries of nature and human passion