Mycenaeanen History Lesson

A map of ancient Mycenaea- They came from the grasslands of Russia and about 2000 B.C., small groups made their way west into Europe and then south through the Balkan States. They finally settled in the lowlands of Greece.

Form of government- The ancient Mycenaenians who ruled from 2000 to 1100 B.C. were warrior people who established monarchies to rule their kingdoms. There was one king at a time. The king of each city-state lived in a lavish fortress-palace in the capitol city. Beyond the capitol city was an outlying network  of villages. In times of danger or attack, the village people fled into the walls for protection.

Why were they important- They established precedence for Classical Greece and thus Western civilization as a whole.

What did they leave or influence- They influenced ship making, and lead to great ships, and how to work with gold and iron. They also left legends that left behind stories like the Odysseus and Iliad.

A story about them-The Iliad- Paris, the king of Troys son, fell in love with Helen, the wife of the Mycenaean king, and took her back to Troy. The Mycenaean king became angry and sent a fleet of ships after them to get her back. However, the walls of Troy were too thick for them too get through. They camped on the plains outside the walls. After 10 years of fighting, they still had not taken Troy over. Odysseus had an idea to take it over. Mycenaeans built a giant, hollow, wooden horse and hid their best soldiers in it. The rest pretended to sail away. The Troy soldiers, thinking they won, pulled the horse into their walls as a victory prize. At night, the Mycenaean soldiers crept out of the horse and let all the other soldiers through the gates. They killed the Troy soldiers in their sleep and took over Troy.

Timeline- 2800 B.C.-Minoan civilization begins, 2000 B.C.-Mycenaeans take control of Greece, 1400 B.C.-Mycenaeans take control of Crete, 1250 B.C.-Mycenaeans attack Troy in Asia Minor, 750 B.C.-Homer writes the Odyssey and Iliad

Notes-Were traders and pirates, vigorous and active, lands were divided into estates that were farmed by enslaved people or tenants, land owners gave the king horses, chariots, weapons, wheat, farm animals, honey, and hides in exchange for protection, relied on hunting and farming for food, hunted rabbit, deer, boar, wild bulls, and game birds, hunted with nets and bows, used greyhounds for big game, despite their success in trade, they're warriors at heart.

Visual aid- The first picture is of Mycenaean ruins, and the second is a layout of a Mycenaean city.