Ancient Greece: From Bronze Age to Classical Greece
The evolution and the development of the Greek Society to the level of Classical Greece can be divided into three major periods: Bronze Age, Dark Age and the Archaic Age. And each of the above stages is characterized by its social organization, religion, economic and political developments and innovations and the ability to endure and withstand foreign raids and invasions. In the late part of the early Bronze Age the rapid population growth on the island of Crete and later on the mainland Greece gave rise to the Minoan and later Mycenaean civilizations. The first population in Greece that spoke Greek were Mycenaeans, however before the rise of their civilization Minoan civilization already flourished on the island of Crete. Through evolution of their civilization Minoans became advanced in metallurgical technology , architecture and art. Through their redistributive economy, complex agriculture and seaborne trade Minoans became very prosperous. They were also responsible for the appearance of first writing in Greek world (Linear A). Minoans had very peaceful society and development of the military was not their priority. Thus, with the development of metallurgya and economy on the mainland Greece t
Moreover, swords, shields and other weapons were the symbol of power and status in the society. Greece remained a patriarchal society, where a woman was behind a strong political leader. Greek trading contacts were gradually restored. Still Greece was not united "city-states" were independent from one another. With the rise of tyranny and several other reforms political reforms they were laborers and poor people were granted more rights and the fundament of democracy was laid. In Greece, writing was largely lost and from the few archaeological records it can be seen that overall population had shrunk and people lived in small communities in remote areas supported by subsistence farming. The overall instability in social structure and the tension between classes in the "city-states" gave rise to new political organization (tyranny) and several political structures: oligarchy, monarchy and democracy. Colonization stimulated such industries ship-building lead to several innovations such as minting of coins in the sixth century. Mycenaeans formed an elite and chieftain-level society that was ruled by powerful commanders who enriched themselves by conducting raiding expeditions as well as by dominating local farmers. he Mycenaean civilization started to rise and by the middle of the Bronze Age they took over Crete and the main palace at Knossos. Urbanization, decline in peasant living standards, rise of new class of wealthy merchants as well as military innovations such as phalanx, lead to the emergence of "city-states" that characterize Archaic Age. Iron became very accessible and more Greeks could afford it and its implementation in agriculture stimulated food production and therefore population started to rise. The depiction of this new social elite can be found in the Homer's Illiad.
Common topics in this essay:
Mycenaeans Mycenaeans,
Dark Age,
Archaic Age,
Age Colonization,
Greek Mycenaeans,
BC Greeks,
Age Urbanization,
Illiad Greek,
Bronze Age,
Linear Minoans,
dark age,
archaic age,
bronze age,
greek society,
redistributive economy,
island crete,
trade intercultural,
started rise,
mainland greece,
minoan civilization,
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