Mycenaean
Minoan ends about 1500 due to some natural calamity, north survive and take over Aegean sea. These are the Mycenaean. No direct evidence, just literary and archaeological. Heinrich Schliemann dug and uncovered the city of Mycenae. City Homer spoke of in the Iliad (King Agamemnon). Schliemann found death mask in Mycenae and assumed it to be the death mask of King Agamemnon. City on hilltop surrounded by walls, which tells us they were afraid of invasion. Polytheistic. Giant conflict between wife of King of Sparta kidnapped by Paris, Prince of Troy. Shows that women were considered property. Why else would Greeks attack Troy? Troy was a gateway to Black Sea, more fertile, more wood, more rainfall. End of Trojan war, Mycenaean period ends. Lost because they won. So warlike that they beat each other off and then collapsed. Around 1000 BC was period of migration towards Mediterranean.
The Dorians migrate in, Mycenaean towns disappear (except Athens), and people go back to a rural existence. This can be found in the Odyssey. Low level agri, hunter gatherer society. Cities begin to reappear, probably because of population increase. Centers of this were built around to focal points, the first was the Acropolis (high point of the city – place for protection, security). At the foot, they built an Agora, or a center of exchange. These settlements are called Polis. Start as market towns, have jurisdiction over urban core and surrounding country side because of the countries dependence of protection. These are called City-States. Greek is little peninsulas and landmass is divided by mountains. Geography carves Greece into pockets of population, leaving a city state to be formed. These city states are governed by aristocratic oligarchy. Wealth is power. Wealth here s equal to land ownership. Land is dominated by a few families, so most Greeks are tenant farmers (leasing land to farm), so landlords assume positions of political leadership. Greek word for best is Aristos. Economy is not of abundance but of scarcity, leading the way for conflict between the haves and have nots. All under attack, all need to be armed. Defense was in hand of militia, greek infantry soldiers called Hoplites. To deal with surplus, they export.
The Peloponnesus. Two most famous city states are Athens and Sparta. Yet neither are typical of the city state. They both became unusually powerful. Culminating event of the era is the Great war between Athens and Sparta in which Sparta wins. Also in politics, they represent the extremes. Sparta being the most authoritarian while Athens is the most free, creating democracy. Development of Athens and Sparta in archaic age and their interactions in the Golden Age.
Sparta is in southern most region of Balkan Peninsula. To get from Sparta to sea would take like a two day walk, so fishing etc was not there for them. They were Agrarian. In 9th century, Sparta begins to grow. They begin to run out of room because of surplus population. Because of their distance to the sea, they can’t really immigrate. They cant trade because they were inland. “Where can we get resources to maintain population?” Go to war. They saw Messenia on the windward side of Balkan Peninsula that catches the rainfall. Somewhat more fertile, and a denser population, higher volume of food. Let’s feed ourselves by becoming a conquering people. Lets start slavery around the year 700. Attack Messenians. 700 – 650 BC. Learn that it is one thing to conquer the country, another thing to effectively occupy it. Want a peaceful occupation so Messenians can farm for them. 10 Messenians for every Spartan. Never-ending circle of conquest. Goes on for about 50 years, until Lycurgus (about 650 BC) decides to either withdraw or figure out a way from revolting year after year by intensifying troops, a surge! A permanent surge of troops in Messenia. Every able man must be a soldier. They become a militant society. Inspected at birth for defects and abandoned. Betweeb 7-20 they go to military school. 20-30 active soldiers. 30-60 serve in reserves. Messenians become slaves.