Minoan Civilization: Precursors to the Greeks, Mycenaeans, and the Trojan War

1. WHN Writing Prompt: Examine this fresco painting from Minoan civilization and compose a caption describing what is happening.

2. Minoans and the Mycenaean's: The precursors to the Greeks The Minotaur The Trojan Horse

3. Minoans – 3000 to 1150 B.C. Rose to power in 2800 B.C. Centered on the Island of Crete Knossos

4. Wine Making Wheat & Barley Pressing Olives

5. They were great carpenters and shipbuilders Minoan Ship Replica Discovery Channel :: Minoan Ship Replica To Sail Seas

7. Ruled by powerful Priest-Kings The most famous of all was King Minos

8. The Palace at Knossos Knossos Palace 3D Reconstruction Pictures from the Palace of Knossos

9. 1400 rooms at the Palace of Knossos Was there a Labyrinth?

10. Bull eats people? There were human sacrifices of foreigners to appease the gods.

11. Half man – Half bull creature That lives in a labyrinth And eats people! Any truth to it???

12. Frescoes Brightly colored water color paintings made on damp plaster

15. Half man Half Bull Bull leaping

16. Sacred items: Snakes Dove, Lilly Double Axe

17. Reflective Writing Prompt: Can an entire civilization be wiped out by another and why would one group of people destroy another group of people? Minoans weakened By a massive Volcanic eruption In 1628 BC Chapter 4 - Section 1 Video Link

19. Atlantis???

21. Defeated by the Mycenaean's In 1428 BC

22. Came from the grasslands Of Southern Russia c. 2000 b.c. The Myceneans Mycenae Aerial View

23. Learned to build ships from the Minoans… became pirates and were said to be known as the strongest group of earth-born mortals. Constructed fortress-palaces for protection. No real cities

24. Myceneans Ruled from c. 1400 bc - 1100bc The Megaron … A central fire place in Mycenean homes… borrowed from the Minoans palace at Knossos

25. Through trade, Mycenaeans learned from the Minoans: • Shipbuilding techniques • Bronze making techniques • Using the sun and stars to travel on the sea • Worshipping the Earth Mother (Minoans’ chief goddess) • Trade with Egypt and expanded to Italy Reflection Questions: Why do you think the Minoans shared so much about their culture with the Mycenaeans? Do you think it is smart to share culture with other groups of people? Why or why not?

26. The Mycenaean people paid their Kings materials and goods in return for protection from outside enemies Mycenae Artifacts from the National Museum of Athens

27. The Trojan War… Paris the Young son of The Trojan King Priam steals the beautiful Helen, wife of King Menalaus of Mycenean. Menalaus, Odysseus and a cast of Greeks are supported and thwarted by the gods throughout their 10 year war to get Helen back.

28. The Trojan War

29. This painting was done in the 19th Century.

30. Homer… Writes the Iliad (about Troy) and the Odyssey about the return home.

31. …But Hektor’s lady still knew nothing; no one came to tell her of Hektor’s stand outside the gates. She wove upon her loom, deep in the lofty house, a double purple web with rose design. Calling her maids in waiting, she ordered a big caldron on a tripod set on the hearthfire to provide a bath for Hektor when he came home from the fight. Poor wife, how far removed from baths he was she could not know, as at Akhilleus’ hands Athena brought him down. Then from the tower she heard a wailing and a distant moan. Her knees shook, and she let her shuttle fall, and called to her maids again: “Come Here. Two must follow me to see this action….”

33. After years of Civil War the Myceneans wore themselves down and were eventually defeated by a group of people known as the Dorians. The Dorians were illiterate, but strong, and they took over the area. The result was the Dark Ages in Greece. People quit writing, drawing, etc. and went back to simply surviving . Eventually small independent communities reformed and the people began calling themselves Hellenes… Greeks.

34. Dark Ages1100 B.C. – 750 B.C. • No Food Surplus = Overseas trade slowed = Poverty Increased • Learning of writing and craftwork ceased • Written language and how to make things forgotten • Greek culture spread • left mainland, settled Aegean islands, & modern day Turkey • Dorians settled Peloponnesus • Brought iron weapons and farm tools • Advanced technology = surplus food = trade resumes • Thru trade learned Phoenician alphabet – simplified Greek language and writing flourished

35. Both the Myceneans and Minoans Helped to create one of the most Influential civilizations in the world The Ancient Greeks!