Mycenaean u The Mycenaean lived on the Greek

Mycenaean u The Mycenaean lived on the Greek mainland. Many people believe the Mycenaean were people originally from central Asia that had taken over the mainland. u They came to Greece around 1900 BCE.

Mycenaean Cities Mycenaean palaces were the center of the community. Estates, farms and markets spread out from the palace. u The people tanned leather, sewed clothes and made jars for olive oil and wine. u Taxes were collected in the form of wheat, livestock and honey which was all then stored in the palace. u

Trade Soon after the Mycenaean set up their capitals they were visited by Minoan traders. u The Mycenaean people learned much from the Minoans from their travels to trade. They copied bronze work and ways to build ships. They learned how to use the stars to navigate boats at night and copied the Minoan religion of worshipping Mother Earth. u

Warriors Around 1450 BCE, they replaced the Minoans as the powerful group in this area. They traded widely, sailing to Egypt, Italy, and many believe they conquered Crete and surrounding islands. They became powerful traders, but they were most proud of their deeds in battle.

Writing and Art u The Mycenaean writing, or Linear B was the writing system which later the Greeks adopted. u Art was created by using different materials including bronze

Fact or Myth? Epic or History? u According to classical sources, the war began after the abduction (or elopement) of Queen Helen of Sparta by the Trojan prince Paris. Helen’s jilted husband Menelaus convinced his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, to lead an expedition to retrieve her.

Trojan War u Agamemnon was joined by the Greek heroes Achilles, Odysseus, Nestor and Ajax, and accompanied by a fleet of more than a thousand ships from throughout the Hellenic world. They crossed the Aegean Sea to Asia Minor to lay siege to Troy and demand Helen’s return by Priam, the Trojan king.

u The siege, punctuated by battles and skirmishes including the storied deaths of the Trojan prince Hector and the nearly-invincible Achilles, ( he died from a shot to the heel) lasted more than 10 years until the morning the Greek armies retreated from their camp, leaving a large wooden horse outside the gates of Troy. After much debate (and unheeded warnings by Priam’s daughter Cassandra), the Trojans pulled the mysterious gift into the city.

u. When night fell, the horse opened up and a group of Greek warriors, led by Odysseus, climbed out and sacked Troy from within. u After the Trojan defeat, the Greeks heroes slowly made their way home. Odysseus took 10 years to make the arduous and often-interrupted journey home to Ithaca recounted in the “Odyssey. ”

u Helen, whose two successive Trojan husbands were killed during the war, returned to Sparta to reign with Menelaus. After his death, some sources say she was exiled to the island of Rhodes, where a vengeful war widow had her hanged.

Think - Pair - Share u Read the text version of the Trojan War. Compare it to the video and the presentation and discuss the question at the bottom with your table partner. u Be prepared to share your answer with the class.

Reasons for the decline of the Mycenaean? The Mycenaean lost their power because: 1. Earthquakes destroyed their cities (primarily) 2. Fighting with groups like the Dorian destroyed their armies and forts Move on to page 120.