1. Where did Greece Come From? (The Dark Ages and )

      The Dark Ages of Greece were called dark because we know very little about them. (The middle ages in Europe are often called the dark ages also.) We have gotten two things from the Dark Ages though: The Illiad and the Odyssey. These are stories in verse written by Homer, supposedly during this time. They are about a Mycenaen battle and a king's adventures on his way home from that battle. Although the tales are probably not factual, it is very probable that they could have been based on real events such as a war between the Greeks and the Trojans.
     Emerging from the Dark Ages around 700 BC, Greece began to expand. It was now made up of many little city-states, such as Athens and Sparta. It set up trading posts and colonies which made it rich. Its art during this time was greatly influenced not only by the earlier Grecians, but also by foreign countries.
     Perhaps the greatest of the Greek city-states was Athens, a center of art and learning. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and warfare, and the city, named after her, was especially known for the Parthenon. Sitting high atop the Acropolis, the temple was built for Athena. Athens was also the first place in the world to develop democracy.
     In most Greek city-states, there were many poor people, a few rich people, and one tyrant (ruler). The rich people usually had more say in the government because of their affluence. However, in Athens, every citizen, rich or poor, could make speeches or vote. Provided you were a man. The regular citizens attended meetings called assemblies in which that would make decisions. Above the Assembly were the Council (500 members) and the Strategoi (10 members) who made the more important decisions in Athens.
     Another Greek city-state, Sparta was founded around 900 BC. It soon conquered Messenia, its neigbor, gaining excellent farm land. However, Sparta often had to be more focused on military matters. It had two main enemies: Athens and slaves.

Spartan Warriors intimidated their foes.

     Athens was Sparta's main rival, and so the Spartans were always prepared for war against them. Boys were trained to be soldiers at a young age, and even the women competed in athletic games so that they would bear strong and healthy babies.
     Another reason that the Spartans trained was that they had slaves called Helots, generally captives from wars, who had a habit of revolting against the Spartans. Perikoi sat a bit higher than Helots; they couldn't become citizens, but they could trade and serve in the army. Very disciplined, harsh, and orderly, the Spartans wore long hair to scare their enemies. And their enemies were scared. The Spartans seemed undefeatable.

1. Where did Greece come from? (The Beginning)



The Minoans and the Mycenaeans lived on the island of Crete.

      Greece has been a country for a long time. But where did Greece start anyway? Early Greece grew out of the Minoans and the Mycenaens.
     The Minoan civilization thrived from 2800 BC to about 1400 BC- 1400 years.The Minoans lived on the island of Crete. They were a people of trade and agriculture. Crete was a place of peace.
     On Crete, the Greeks grew wheat, barley, grapes, and olives. They became carpenters and metal workers. They built ships and traded with other Greek towns, Egypt, and Syria.  The Cretan civilization was named after Minos, a legendary king of Crete. We are not certain how their culture died away. What we are sure of is that around 1450 BC, Crete became Mycenaean.


     The Mycenaean civilization inhabited Crete in the form of a few separate kingdoms. They were people of trade, like the Minoans, but also of warfare. Minoan artwork and lifestyle greatly influenced the Mycenaens, but they also developed their own techniques for making jewelry and pottery.
     Around 1200 BC, it seems that the Mycenaens came under attack by foreign invaders and were eventually worn down. Gradually, their great palaces and major cities began to be abandoned. After less than 100 years, Mycenae was no more and the Dark Ages of Greece had become.

    

Introduction

One Grecian Urn

     Hello! Welcome to my blog "One Grecian Urn." My name is Emma; you can read more about me in my user profile. On this blog, I will be writing about Ancient Greece, a subject that is relatively new to me. I have been reading books about this topic, both fiction and non-fiction. I hope to cover four main topics in my posts: 1. Where did Greece come from? 2. Who are some important people from Ancient Greece? 3. What are some important events that happened in Ancient Greece? 4. How do the Ancient Greeks still impact our world today? Please read on to find the answers to these questions.