Chapter 8 Lesson 2
 Describe
the achievements of the Minoans
and Mycenaeans.
 Describe
 Explain
the importance of Homer.
the importance of Greek mythology
to the everyday life of the ancient Greeks.
 Peasant
– poor farmer
 Cultural Borrowing – when a culture takes
ideas from another culture
 Bard – professional story tellers that traveled
from town to town
 Legend – stories handed down from earlier
times that explain the past
 Epic – long poems
 Myth – stories about the actions of gods and
goddesses and how they affected the lives of
people
 Mythology – all the stories passed down from
generation to generation
Minoan culture developed on
the island of Crete
 Crete is a long narrow island
with rugged mountains and flat
plains
 In about 2,000 B.C., the
Minoans began building cities
 In each city, they built a large
palace that was the center for
government and religion
 The mild climate made Crete a
pleasant place for the Minoans
to live
 Page 279 shows the city of
Knossos; the largest Minoan
palace
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Minoans developed a rich culture
They enjoyed painting, dancing, music and sports.
In many of the paintings, both women and men wear gold
jewelry and have long flowing hair
Wrote on clay tablets
They were expert sailors and traded with other cultures
around the Mediterranean
The Minoan culture had come to an end by about 1100
B.C.
 They
produced olive oil, wine, wool, pottery
and other goods.
 In return they received copper, tin, and gold.
 Historians believe there could be many ends
to the Minoan civilization such as:
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A fire
Volcanic Eruption
Earthquake
Arrival of Mycenaeans
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The Mycenaean civilization
developed on the Peloponnesus
(map on page 281)
They adopted many customs from
the Minoans and made them their
own
They spoke an early form of the
Greek language
Used Minoan art and pottery
styles
The warlike Mycenaeans
controlled Crete and much of the
Peloponnesus until about 1100
B.C.
How did the location of Crete
help the Mycenaeans trade with
other cultures?
 How
did the location of Crete help the
Mycenaeans trade with other cultures?
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The Mycenaeans were in an ideal location to sail
throughout the Mediterranean
Greeks developed a tradition
of storytelling
 Myths and legends were
passed down through
generations and were
important to everyday life
 The stories were entertaining,
but they also taught Greek
ideals, values and beliefs
 The legend of the Trojan War
comes from the bard Homer’s
two epics, the Iliad (describes
attacks on Troy)and the
Odyssey (story of Odysseus on
his way home from Trojan War.

Each Greek god and goddess
possessed a special power or
controlled a specific part of
human life
 Zeus was god of thunder and
lightning
 Hera was goddess of
marriage and childbirth
 Zeus and Hera were king
and queen over all the
Greek gods at Mount
Olympus
 Myths were very important
to Greek religion
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 What
do the artifacts on page 282 tell you
about Greek culture and religion?
 How
do we know that at least some events in
Homer’s epic about the Trojan War are
probably true?
 Why
were Greek gods important to the
Greek’s daily lives?
 What
do the artifacts on page 282 tell you
about Greek culture and religion?
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Show that the ancient Greeks worshipped and
celebrated a number of gods and goddesses
 How
do we know that at least some events in
Homer’s epic about the Trojan War are
probably true?
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Archaeologists have found evidence that suggests
that Troy was in fact attacked and burned
 Why
were Greek gods important to the
Greek’s daily lives?
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The Greeks believed that each god or goddess
controlled a specific part of daily life
During the Greek Dark Age
culture declined
 They abandoned their palaces
and cities
 Trade stopped, poverty set in
 Many cultural achievements
were lost during this time
 Through legends and myths
the traditions and beliefs of
the early Greeks survived
 About 750 BC the Dark Age
was coming to an end
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 The
Minoans and Mycenaeans developed two
of Greece’s earliest civilizations.
 The Minoans built cities around great
palaces.
 Considered the first Greeks, the Mycenaean
culture borrowed from the Minoan culture.
 By the 1100s BC these civilizations had
disappeared.
 Legends and myths kept the traditions and
beliefs of Greece’s early civilizations alive.