Greece

 

I.  Hellas = The Land

         A.  Features

                  1.  Balkan Mountains

                  2.  Aegean Sea

         B.  Influenced History

                  1.  eastward attention

                  2.  political fragmentation

II.  Bronze Age: Early Greek City-States

         A. Minoans of Crete

                  1.  Sir Arthur Evans (1900)

                           a)  palace at Knossos

                           b)  King Minos & the Minotaur

                  2.  society

                           a)  wealthy & peaceful

                           b)  sailors & merchants

                  3.  unique characteristics

                           a)  writing = Linear A (not fully deciphered)

                           b)  bull leaping

         B.  Mycenaeans of Peloponnesus

                  1.  Heinrich Schliemann (1870s)

                           -- Mycenae & Troy

                  2.  society

                           a)  king's wealth & power

                                    -- "mask of Agamemnon"

                                    --  megaron = palace's great hall

                           b) warfare

                  3.  writing = Linear B (deciphered in 1952)

         C.  What happened to them?

                  1.  dominance of Mycenae (from 1450 B.C.E.)

                  2.  destruction of Knossos (in 1370 B.C.E.)

                  3.  internal wars (until 1000 B.C.E.)

III.  Dark Age:  Homer's Epic Poems

         A.  Trojan War

                  1.  Iliad -- besiege of Troy

                  2.  Odyssey -- adventures of Odysseus

         B.  Greek Values

                  1.  heroism -- strength & intelligence

                  2.  excellence -- in war & love