Why Was The Mycenaean Civilization Important?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The Mycenaean civilization would so inspire the later Archaic and Classical Greeks from the 8th century BCE onwards that the Bronze Age period came to be seen as a golden one when people respected the gods, warriors were braver and life was generally less complicated and more decent.

Why was Mycenaean important?

The Mycenaeans adopted the numeration and measurement system of Minoan Crete thus facilitating the control of production and trade. The most significant Mycenaean achievement was the invention of a new writing system , the syllabary named Linear B.

What impact did Mycenaean civilization have?

What impact did Mycenaean civilization have on later Greeks? They absorbed Egyptian and Mesopotamian influences , which they passed on to later Greeks. What values of the ancient Greeks are found in the poems of Homer? Honor, courage, and eloquence.

Why are the Mycenaeans important influential to Western civilization?

Mycenaean Language and Writing

Besides building the first cities in Europe, the Mycenaeans, along with the Minoans, were the first people to develop a written script in Europe . The Mycenaeans’ writing system, known today as Linear B script, was influenced by the slightly older Linear A script of the Minoans.

What did the Mycenaean civilization do?

The Mycenaeans developed trade throughout the Mediterranean . They built large trade ships and traveled to places like Egypt where they traded goods like olive oil and wine for metals and ivory. The Minoan civilization began to weaken around 1450 BC.

Who destroyed the Mycenaean civilization?

The Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations were destroyed by new arrivals from Macedonia and Epirus . This new group of Greeks, called the Dorians, settled in the war ravaged lands and developed their civilization.

How did the Mycenaeans become so powerful?

The Mycenaeans invaded or moved into Crete in around 2000 BC. The many established trade routes throughout the Mediterranean also helped the Mycenaeans gain wealth and power. They gained power from trade, waging war, and conquering land .

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 Mycenaean civilization thrived between 1650 and 1200 BC. ... This influence is seen in Mycenaean palaces, clothing, frescoes, and their writing system, called Linear B.

What was unique about Cretan civilization?

Crete became the foremost site of Bronze Age culture in the Aegean Sea , and in fact it was the first centre of high civilization in that area, beginning at the end of the 3rd millennium bce.

What were the main features of the Mycenaean culture?

Such shared features include architecture, frescoes, pottery, jewellery, weaponry , and of course, the Greek language and writing in the form of Linear B (an adaptation of the Minoan Linear A).

Who did the mycenaeans worship?

When the Mycenaeans first arrived in the Aegean they likely believed in a pantheon of gods headed by a supreme Sky God common to most Indo-European peoples. His name was Dyeus which in Greek became Zeus.

How did the mycenaeans win the war?

Menelaus convinced his brother Agamemnon of Mycenae to attack Troy and return Helen to Greece. ... Upon arriving in Troy, he demanded the return of Helen from King Priam of Troy. The war is notable for the tale of the Trojan horse that enabled the Mycenaean Greek army to defeat Troy .

What caused the fall of the Minoan civilization?

Volcanic explosion . Three and a half thousand years ago, the tiny Aegean island of Thera was devastated by one of the worst natural disasters since the Ice Age – a huge volcanic eruption. This cataclysm happened 100km from the island of Crete, the home of the thriving Minoan civilisation.

Who ruled the Minoans?

The term Minoan is a modern name, and comes from the legendary King Minos , who, according to Greek mythology, ruled the island of Crete. One of the main problems in understanding Minoan civilization is that, though we have Minoan writing, no one has deciphered it, so we do not know what it says.

How did the Mycenaean civilization start?

Mycenaean civilization originated and evolved from the society and culture of the Early and Middle Bronze Age in mainland Greece under influences from Minoan Crete. These Bronze Age Greeks establish themselves as political units sometime around 1600.

How did the Mycenaean civilization end?

Mycenae and the Mycenaean civilization began to decline around 1200 B.C. Mycenae’s people abandoned the citadel around 100 years later after a series of fires . ... Alternatively, Mycenae may have fallen to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, drought or famine.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.