Bell Ringer

If you were designing a civilization…

Where would it be located?

Why? What are the

disadvantages and

advantages of this area?

Seafaring Traders•Minoans•Mycenaeans•Phoenicians

MINOANS

• Traders in the Mediterranean Sea

• Island of Crete

• Southern edge of Aegean Sea

• Major influence on the Greeks

• Knossos: capital city

Minoans – Capital: Knossos

Minos’ palace – Throne Room

Minoan Life

• Peaceful • Loved nature• Athletic

people – Boxing– Wrestling– bull leaping

• Cult of the bull– Sacrifices to gods

Women

• Higher rank than other

cultures

• A Great Mother Earth

Goddess ruled over

other gods of Crete

• Priestesses took charge of

shrines

– Aided by male assistants

King Minos

• Had a Minotaur (half man – half bull) as a pet

• Kept the monster locked in a labyrinth (maze) of which there was no escape!

• Later, Greek myths will include this mythical creature– Ex. Percy Jackson

What happened?

• Natural disasters• 1470 BCE – Earthquake or

volcano• Unable to rebuild cities

• Possibly taken over by invaders

• Phoenicians become most powerful traders in Mediterranean

Mycenaeans

Mycenaean Culture

• Came to power when Minoans disappear

• Lived on Greek mainland

• Great warrior nation: “Heroic Age”– We know this from pictures and

written records

Mycenaean Culture

• Perseus (from Greek mythology) supposedly founded Mycenae

• Setting in the Iliad• Important place

during the Trojan War– Agamemnon’s brother is

married to Helen, who runs off with Paris from Troy…starting the Trojan War

• Influenced Greek religion and mythology

Phoenicians - Geography• Rose to power during the Dark Age

• City-States – Byblos, Tyre, Sidon – trading centers

Phoenicians Trading

• Trading Centers/Colonies– Northern coast of Africa– Coasts of Sicily, Sardinia,

and Spain– Greatest colony - Carthage

• Items traded:– Purple dye– Wood, metal, glass, and

ivory products– Goods from other lands

• slaves• weapons• wine

Phoenician Accomplishments

• Went past the Strait of Gibraltar

• Sailed around Africa• Writing System

– Alphabet– Phonetics– Purple dye– Trading boats

The End of the Phoenicians…

• While things are going well for the Phoenicians…

• The Persians rise to power and are slowly conquering everyone…and will eventually control this area of the Mediterranean and these people.

» Cyr Cyrus the Great » Pers -Persian King