The Homeric Era (1100-750 BC) in Ancient Greece PDF

# Ancient Greece (from 1100 to 23 BC) ## The Prehistoric Period - The Mycenaean civilization, which lasted from approximately 1600 to 1100 BC, marked the beginning of Greek history - The end of the Mycenaean world around 1100 BC ushered in a transitional period lasting from the 11th to the 9th...

# Ancient Greece (from 1100 to 23 BC) ## The Prehistoric Period - The Mycenaean civilization, which lasted from approximately 1600 to 1100 BC, marked the beginning of Greek history - The end of the Mycenaean world around 1100 BC ushered in a transitional period lasting from the 11th to the 9th centuries BC - Greek tribes migrated to both sides of the Aegean Sea, eventually establishing permanent settlements - This geographic terrain fostered a seafaring culture, as opposed to unification. - The Greeks’ contacts with other people and their organization into city-states are considered crucial for the development of Greek culture, which is sometimes referred to as the "Greek miracle." ## Key Periods of Ancient Greek History - The Homeric period (1100-750 BC) - The Archaic period (750-480 BC) - The Classical period (480-323 BC) ## The Homeric Era (1100-750 BC) - The decline of the Mycenaean centers was followed by three centuries of upheaval - Greek tribes continued to move, searching for permanent settlements - The main sources of information for this period are archaeological research and the Homeric epics, which is why this period is called the Homeric era - Some refer to the era as the Greek Middle Ages or Dark Ages, as historical knowledge was limited; however, the Homeric era marks a period of reconstruction and organizational creativity during which the foundations of Greek culture were laid. ## The Migrations - The 11th to the 9th centuries BC witnessed population thinning and an absence of social and political organization. - The downfall of the Mycenaean centers was not solely caused by the Dorian migration. - The absence of resistance enabled the Dorians to take control of the Greek territories. - The Dorians’ migration contributed to population rearrangements within the Greek territories and the creation of a flow towards the coasts of Asia Minor. ### The First Migration - The first migration was carried out by the Thessalians who came from Thesprotia to the area that later bore their name. - The older inhabitants, the Boeotians, moved south to the area around Thebes. ### The Second Migration - The Dorians’ migration was a larger movement that caused more significant population rearrangements - Their arrival started in northwestern Greece at the beginning of the 11th century BC, progressing in waves. - They settled first in the Pindus region, in Phthiotis, and the area south of Olympus and Ossa. - Then they moved into Doris, an area that owes its name to them. - The Dorians then moved into the Peloponnese, settling in Laconia - The Dorians’ entrance into the Peloponnese was military and aimed at subjugating the Achaean-Mycenaean populations. ### The Dominance of the Dorians - The Dorians’ dominance led to population movement in the form of the first Greek colonization, which took place from the mid-11th to the 9th centuries BC - The Aegean islands acted as a bridge for Greek tribes moving to the western coasts of Asia Minor. - Tribes speaking the Aeolic dialect (Thessalians) migrated to the northeastern Aegean and settled on the islands of Tenedos and Lesbos, as well as the opposing shores of Asia Minor, in the area known as Aeolis ### The Ionians Migration - The Ionians migrated from northeastern Peloponnese, Attica, and Euboea to Samos, Chios, and the opposite coasts of Asia Minor, using the Cyclades as a bridge. - They established twelve new cities, which later formed a religious union, the Panioniac - The Dorians did not migrate as refugees. - The first Doric groups to sail the sea came from Laconia, Epidaurus, and Troezen. - They settled in Milos, Thera, Crete, and Rhodes and Cos. ## The Economic, Social and Political Organization in the Homeric Era - Land was the main source of economic development. - The economy was closed and agrarian. - Families, along with those economically dependent on them, formed households. - There was very little specialization, resulting in a limited need for artisans. - People within a household produced the vast majority of goods. - When there were shortages, goods were replenished through limited barter trade, gift exchange, war, and piracy. - The ox or animal skins, metals, and slaves were used as references for exchanged goods. ### The Society - The household functioned as the unit of social organization. - The household’s members were connected by kinship ties and acquired land, granting them economic power. This made them aristocrats (nobles), as portrayed in Homer's works. - Non-kinship members of the household included skilled workers who provided services to a broader area and were economically dependent on the households: carpenters, potters, coppersmiths, etc. - Slaves were considered as property and were acquired primarily through war or piracy. ## The Political Organization in the Homeric Era - The first Greek societies were organized on tribal criteria, forming tribal states. - A tribal state could be established as a distinct unit or through the fragmentation of a tribe. - It could also arise from the union of several tribes of the same ethnicity. - The need for political organization led the tribal leaders to become hereditary kings as the Greek tribes settled. - The Homeric-era king was the chief of the army during times of war and the ruler with religious and judicial authority during times of peace. ## The Distinction Between the Nobles and the Multitude - The people are urged to stand up against the king and to protect their interests against them. - The expression “as many as you are” emphasizes the significance of the majority, which later became the cornerstone of Athenian democracy in the 5th century. ## The Culture in the Homeric Era - The Linear B script was forgotten after the fall of the Mycenaean palaces, leaving the Greeks without writing for three centuries - Writing resurfaced in the Greek world by the end of the ninth century BC. - The Greek alphabet emerged from the Phoenician alphabet, adapted to the phonetic values of the Greek language and adding vowels. - The Homeric era saw the creation of temples that gradually acquired wider appeal. Local cults contributed to the establishment of the Olympic twelve gods. - The Homeric era marks the formation of major historical poems and art forms like pottery and microcrafts. - The heroic content of Mycenaean songs provided a foundation for later Homeric epics - Rhapsodes, poets of the Homeric era, used the old songs to create epics. - The Iliad was likely composed in the middle of the 8th century BC, and the Odyssey in the late 8th century BC or the early 7th Century BC. - The Homeric art era is conventionally referred to as geometric ## The Origin of the City-State and the Reasons for its Existence - The city is more than a mere settlement of people living in an area. - The relationship between families and clans is necessary, but it does not constitute a city. - A city requires proper communication and a common bond between people. - The city is also a result of people settling in an area and intermarrying for the sake of common cohabitation. - This act of cohabitation is driven by a desire for a friendly disposition and is the ultimate goal of the city: to live well. ## The Archaic Era (750-480 BC) - Researchers define this period as the beginnings of economic, political, and cultural evolution, spanning the period between the mid-8th century BC and the first two decades of the 5th century BC. ### The Economic-Social Crisis at the End of the Homeric Era - The crisis was addressed within the framework of organized city-states and the establishment of Greek colonies, marking the second Greek colonization. - The 7th and 6th centuries BC were a time of spiritual quests and the formation of ancient Greek culture. - The Archaic era concluded with struggles against the "barbarians," which resulted in Greek victory and a solidifying of national identity. ### The Genesis of the City-State - Historians use the term city-state to denote space and the organized community within it. - The city-state features include: - a specific, defined space - an organized community - an authority that addresses common problems - a center of authority, typically fortified and known as a polis or asty, located in the wider area - surrounding cultivable land, where smaller settlements known as komai are located - citizens participating in the management of the commons, taking part in decision-making - the participation or non-participation of citizens defines a key aspect of the city's political system ### The Role of the City-State in the Development of Greek Culture - Citizens had three fundamental aspirations: liberty, autonomy, and self-sufficiency. - The city-state played a central role in achieving these aspirations. - Greek citizens fought to defend their city's freedom, contributed to the enactment of laws, and participated in production to meet their needs, leading to the city's autonomy and self-sufficiency. - The city-state’s existence was directly linked to its citizens’ aspirations but also hindered a unified Greek state. - The constant struggle for liberty, autonomy, and self-sufficiency played a critical role in the development of Greek culture, fostering patriotism, internal conflicts, and the emergence of a distinct Greek identity. ### The Origins of City-States - The organization of people into cities was not a new idea. - Mesopotamian Sumerians, for example, had organized into cities with developed economic and cultural activity. - However, the Sumerians did not display the same level of political activity, meaning that they did not engage with concepts of freedom, voluntary action, and protecting rights, which were crucial for the development of the Greek city-state. - These concepts were key to the development of the ideas of the "citizen" and "politics." ### The Significance of the City-State - The city-state was a crucial innovation, contributing to the development of Greek civilization. - The city-state enabled the development of democracy, poetry, theater, philosophy, rhetoric, urban planning, and science. ## The Economic and Social Organization - The development of city-states is directly linked to the economic, social, and political conditions that prevailed in the Homeric era. - Different conditions in various regions led to the transformation of Homeric communities into city-states. - The migrations of Greek tribes contributed to the creation of independent communities and eventually city-states. - These communities developed their own unique characteristics, including local worships. - The city-states evolved through a mixture of new development and the integration of existing communities. - The first city-states emerged in the coasts of Asia Minor during the first Greek colonization. - Greek territories were formed independently through different pathways: - Part of a tribe became independent and formed a community with neighboring tribes - Neighboring communities united and formed a city-state - Groups in villages (kome) formed a unified city-state - The formation of city-states was not a simultaneous process. ## The Crisis of the Homeric World - During the end of the 9th century BC, the Homeric communities experienced a population increase that led to an economic crisis - The crisis was due to factors including: - Limited cultivable land - Lack of means for exploitation, such as agriculture - Concentration of land ownership - Limited labor specialization - Lack of resources besides land - The limited scope of royal authority - The increasing power of the nobles - As the nobles gained power, they challenged the authority of the king. - The nobles’ authority depended on land ownership. They were known by names such as agathoi, aristoi, eupatrides, esthloi and focused on their physical well-being and training - The nobles were also known as cavalrymen and were involved in military readiness. - The common people were also part of the city-state. - They included small to medium cultivators or those who worked as laborer. These commoners were known as the multitude. - The common people were eventually involved in commerce and crafts, which led to wealth but not political power. - The development of slavery was directly linked to the notion that free citizens should not engage in labor, and instead focus on the affairs of the state. - The number of slaves increased in some cities due to debts to the nobles and the increase in wars. ## The Increase of Wealth and the Establishment of Tyrannical Regimes - As Greece’s wealth increased, tyrannies were established in many city-states. - Greece became a powerful naval force, and the emphasis shifted towards the sea. - Most tyrants were assassinated. ## The Transition Towards Democracy and Oligarchy - During the end of the 6th century BC, the oligarchic or tyrannical regimes that had taken over were deposed in most cities. - Athens led the shift to democracy. - Reforms, such as those by Cleisthenes, led to the strengthening of the democratic regime, enabling every citizen to participate in the government. ## The Archaic Era - Governance in the Archaic era was solidified through social upheavals and " *stasis* " - Two important examples of this are Sparta and Athens. - Sparta developed an oligarchic regime that lasted until the Roman conquest. - Athens saw the full spectrum of governance, from aristocracy during the 7th century BC to democracy during the late 6th century BC. ## The Archaic Culture - Philosophers began writing prose. - Poetry incorporated personal styles, emotions, and attempts to explain the creation of the world. - The Archaic period was marked by an emphasis on history. - Art was influenced by Eastern standards. - In the Archaic era, the Doric and Ionic architectural styles became dominant. - Sculptures, specifically kouroi and korai, began to appear. - Pottery art evolved. - These artistic developments also signified deeper spiritual and philosophical concerns, which originated in Ionia and quickly spread throughout the Greek world. - Religious beliefs and practices also experienced a period of consolidation, manifesting in the emergence of the Olympian twelve gods. - Some places of worship gained pan-Hellenic significance, and the Olympian twelve gods became recognized throughout the Greek world.