The History of Early Ancient Greece

1. The History of Early Ancient Greece World History I Heritage High School Ms. LaFerriere

2. Minoans • Location: Crete • Named for: King Minos • When: 2000-1000 BCE • Key Facts: • Capital: Knossos • Dominated trade in Mediterranean Sea • Legend of Minotaur and labyrinth • Very cultured: frescoes and vases • Reasons for Decline: • Invasion by Mycenaeans • Volcanic eruption • Earthquakes

3. Mycenaeans • Location: Peloponnesus peninsula, Crete • Named for: Capital – Mycenae • When: dominated from 1600 – 1200 BCE • Key Facts: • Dominated trade in Mediterranean Sea • Vases • Waged Trojan War • Each city governed by a king • Reasons for decline: • Trojan War: away fighting for too long • Invasion of the Dorians

4. Trojan War • Location: Troy • Who: Mycenaeans vs. Trojans • When: c. 1200 BCE lasted 10 years • Key Facts: • Fought over sea route – Dardanelles Strait • Known because of story by Homer • May have fought over Helen of Troy • Reasons for Decline: • Trojan Horse • Troy destroyed by fire

5. Dorians • Location: Greece • Named for: unknown • When: 1200 – 750 BCE • Key Facts: • Mostly unknown • No written records • Dark Ages of Greece: civilization went into decline • Reasons for decline: • Rise of new city-states

6. Epics of Homer • Location: Greece • Named for: author – Homer • When: c.750 – 700 BCE • Key Facts: • Epics: long narrative poems about the deeds of a hero or heroes • The Iliad • Trojan War • Story of Achilles • The Odyssey • Adventures of Odysseus around the Mediterranean Sea