HIST-UA 157 Lecture 5: EARLY PEOPLE OF THE AEGEAN
Document Summary
Minoans named after minos, a legendary king of crete. Success of civilization had been based on trade. Knossos: palaces in which rulers of this huge trading empire lived. Shrine: area dedicated to the honor of gods and goddesses. Women had more rights than they did in most other religions. Minoans mysteriously disappeared and mycenaean"s (1st greek speaking people) came in. Mycenaean"s: indo-european people who took over mainland greece before taking over crete. Lived in separate city-states and had been sea traders. Best remembered for trojan war (due to economic rivalry between mycenae and troy) Straits: narrow water passages that connect mediterranean and black seas. As mycenaean power faded people forgot many skills such as art and writing. Homer: blind poet who went from city to city singing of heroic deeds. When the civilizations traded, they had to travel to other lands which allowed them to learn about ideas and technology which they then adapted to their own culture.
