What is Mycenae known for?

Mycenae is perhaps best known in mythology as the city of Agamemnon, the son of Atreus. King Agamemnon led the expedition against Troy during the Trojan War, which Homer accounted in his epic poem the Iliad.

What was unique about the Mycenaean civilization?

The Mycenaeans are the first Greeks, in other words, they were the first people to speak the Greek language. The Mycenaeans were influenced by the earlier Minoan civilization, located on the island of Crete. This influence is seen in Mycenaean palaces, clothing, frescoes, and their writing system, called Linear B.

What caused the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization?

Suggestions from scholars to explain the general collapse of the Mycenaean culture (and other contemporary ones in the Mediterranean) include natural disaster (earthquakes, volcanic explosions, and tsunami), overpopulation, internal social and political unrest, invasion from foreign tribes such as the Sea Peoples.

Why is the Minoan civilization associated to the emergence of the Greek civilization?

By trading with the early Greeks, the Minoans spread their ideas and art to the Greek mainland. Crete is located in the Mediterranean Sea, with the Aegean Sea on its northern shore. At the height of their civilization, between 2,000-1400 BC, the Minoans developed a palace-centered civilization.

Why did mycenaeans build fortified cities?

The fortifications of Mycenae were built with the use of Cyclopean masonry. With the citadel built on a cliff, the architects created protection not only for the upper class that lived within the walls, but the lower-class farmers in the surrounding areas, who could find refuge there in times of war.

What did Mycenaean palaces do?

One of the most important features of the palace was the Megaron, which was a large rectangular room. The Megaron was used as a center of economy and trade as well as a throne room for the king. It was even used for religious ceremonies too. Inside the Megaron, there was a hearth and four columns surrounding it.

Why did Mycenaeans build fortified cities?

How did the Mycenaean civilization differ from the Minoan civilization?

The only differences are their iconographic elements. Minoans relied heavily on religious iconography, depicting the images of their gods and especially goddesses. Unlike Minoans, known for their peaceful thalassocracy, the Mycenaean society was oriented towards war and expansion, and it showed in their art.

Was the Mycenaean civilization peaceful?

These people are known today as the Mycenaeans, and their culture thrived between 1400 and 1200 BCE. They were influenced a great deal by the non-Greek Minoans artistically but their aggressive warrior culture was unlike that of the peace-loving Minoans. The Mycenaeans spoke an early form of Greek.

How were the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations alike?

The Minoans and Mycenaeans were alike in that they both had similar customs and cultures, and both civilizations participated in trade. The Minoans were people who focused on trade and ship building while the Mycenaeans used war to conquer and seize other lands.

How were the Minoans and Mycenaeans similar?

How were the Minoans and Mycenaeans similar? They both traded with other societies, influenced Greek culture, and used the sea for travel. What is a polis? Why do you think the Greeks built their cities around a high acropolis?

What did the gigantic size of the stone used to build the Mycenaean citadels suggest to the early archaeologists?

The large stone used to make the city walls were known as “Cyclopean.” This name derives from the enormous weight of the blocks, leading these to be associated with the Cyclopes. The stones were so massive, it was thought to be only the Cyclops could lift them. What culture was the lion ubiquitous throughout?

What was the largest city of the Mycenaean culture?

Their largest city was called Mycenae, which gives the culture its name. Mycenae was a large city that had a population of around 30,000 people at its peak. There were other Mycenaean cities that grew into major city-states during the height of Ancient Greece such as Thebes and Athens. The Mycenaeans developed trade throughout the Mediterranean.

What caused the Mycenaean walls to increase in size?

Around 1200 BC, we have evidence that the Mycenaeans increased the size of the walls around their cities. Something was threatening the civilization. Perhaps there was increased fighting among the Mycenaean cities, or perhaps there was a foreign invasion from the north of Greece.

What caused the decline of the Mycenaean civilization?

Among the most credible theories is the emigration of Dorians and Heraclids (Tribes that lived hitherto in central Greece) which destroyed all the Mycenaean centers – except Athens -, and the hypothesis that social upheaval from within forced the civilization into decline.

What was the economy like in Mycenaean Greece?

Trade over vast areas of the Mediterranean was essential for the economy of Mycenaean Greece. The Mycenaean palaces imported raw materials, such as metals, ivory and glass, and exported processed commodities and objects made from these materials, in addition to local products: oil, perfume, wine, wool and pottery.