THE ANCIENT
MEDITERRANEAN
EARLY STATES OF THE
CLASSICAL AGE
MINOAN SOCIETY
• Minoans
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Minoan society arose on Crete, late 3rd millennium B.C.E.
Main center was Knossos
Takes name from legendary king of Knossos, Minos
Lavish palaces at Knossos, between 2000 and 1700 B.C.E.
Linear A, a kind of written language, is found
• Island of Crete
– From 2200 to 1450 B.C.E., center of Mediterranean commerce
– Received early influences from Phoenicia and Egypt
– Established colonies on Cyprus and islands in the Aegean Sea
• State Government
– City-states headed by kings
– State seems to have functioned more along lines of democracy
– Aristocracy was counterbalanced by rich merchants
• Decline of Minoan Society
– After 1700 B.C.E., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis
– After 1450 B.C.E., wealth attracted a number of invaders
– By 1100 B.C.E., Crete fell under foreign (Hellenic) domination
MINOAN CRETE
MYCENAEAN GREECE
• Mycenaean society
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Indo-European immigrants settled in area, 2000 B.C.E.
Adapted Minoan Linear A into their script Linear B
Fortified agricultural settlements in Peloponnesus
Most important settlement was Mycenae
Society resembled Aryan: emphasis on war, trade
Kingdoms ruled by strongest of nobles; constant strife
• Chaos in the eastern Mediterranean 1100 to 800 BCE
– Mycenaeans engaged in Trojan war, about 1200 B.C.E.
• Troy may have been a Hittite city-state and trade rival
• Tomb of Agamemnon, Troy excavated by von Schliemann
• Recorded by Homer in the Illiad and the Odyssey
– More invasions by Hellenic tribes
– “Sea Peoples”
• Later Hellenic invaders moved by sea along coasts
• Seemed to have raided into Palestine, Egypt as Philistines
IMAGES OF MYCENAEA
THE PHOENICIANS
• The Phoenicians
– Lived between the Mediterranean and mountains of Lebanon
• Composed of city-states who were rivals: Tyre, Sidon, Byblos
• Local government was led by king; aristocratic oligarchies
– Turned to industry and trade because of their meager lands
• By 2500 B.C.E., dominated trade in the Mediterranean basin
• Established colonies in Cyprus, Sicily, Spain, north Africa
– Culturally they were part of the Mesopotamian/Cuneiform world
– Developed their own alphabet to make writing easier
• Phoenicians were famous merchants
– “Let the buyer beware” was Greek phrase about the Phoenicians
– Specialized in purple dye, purple cloth, silver, gold
– Carried goods of other peoples to distant lands
• Carthage
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The chief Phoenician colony in North Africa was Carthage
Eventually became chief Phoenician city due to trade
An aristocratic republic run as an oligarchy.
Wealth based on trade; came to rule Spain, Sardinia
PHOENICIAN
MEDITERRANEAN
ETRUSCANS
• The Etruscans
– Probably migrated from Anatolia
• Conquered local peoples
• Formed ruling aristocracy
– Dominated Italy from 8th to 5th centuries B.C.E.
• Expanded into Po River and South to Greeks
• Created first local civilization in Italy
• Etruscan City-States
– 12 leading city-states
• Were constantly at war
• Favored kings with aristocratic oligarchy
– Etruscan Society
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Agriculture was very important
Dominated trade in area; traded with Greeks
Women seem to have had some rights in society
Borrowed Greek alphabet; invented arch
Religion was dark polytheism, superstitious
ETRUSCAN
WORLD
EARLY ROMAN STATE
• The early kingdom of Rome: 753 – 509 BCE
– A small state arose of the Tiber River
• Legendary founders = Romulus and Remus
• People were Italics of the Latin tribe
– State was a kingdom with an Etruscan king
• Local Roman aristocracy resented Etruscan ruling style
• Expanded slowly and quietly for around 200 years
– Easy access to the Mediterranean
• Trade routes led through Rome
• Traded with Greeks, Etruscans, Carthaginians and Kelts
• Society
– Agriculture, warfare were typical of Etruscans
– Society dominated by aristocracy called patricians
– Religion borrowed heavily from Greeks, Etruscans
EARLY
ROMAN
WORLD