The Brief Outline for Ancient Greece History - Essay Example

The Brief Outline for Ancient Greece History When talking about Ancient Greece, scholars and historians usually speak of certain periods that designate what era they are specifically referring to. According to AncientGreece.com those periods are broken down in the following manner; 6000-2900 BC Neolithic Period 2900-2000 BC Early Bronze Age 2000-1400 BC Minoan Age 1600-1100 BC Mycenaean Age 1100- 750 BC The Dark Ages (Geometric Period) 750-500 BC Archaic Period 500-336 BC Classical Period 335-146 BC Hellenistic Period Whether the speaker of these periods is referring to Greek History, or to Greek art and literature the time frames still remain pretty much the same. Though artifacts have been discovered that are dated 30 -35,000 years old (which is by far and away thousands of years older than the periods listed above) this paper will concentrate on the later periods of ancient Greece (those listed above). The Neolithic Period (6000-2900 BC) was marked by four separate periods. These periods are the Early, Middle, Late and Final Neolithic periods. The Early Neolithic (EN) period was characterized by three new features that set it apart from the period it followed. Those characteristics included; 1) the appearance of domestic sheep and goats 2) the appearance of gardens of wheat, barley and lentil 3) and the appearance of polished stone tools and a substantial increase in grinding stones. It is also known as the period of time when pottery first made its appearance in ancient Greece. Greece/pg 2 The pottery and pottery fragments that have been discovered from that era seem to show that the pottery was not used for cooking or cleaning (holding water) but were instead used as status systems on display. This period is also marked as the time when ritual burials first are evidenced. In fact, an infant’s burial from that era is the first one discovered with any “wealth” at all buried at the same time. The wealth included a half a pottery jar and a small footed vessel. The Middle Neolithic (MN) does not differ much from the EN except that the pottery being made has now been glazed and there is evidence that the potters have learned how to ‘fire’ the pottery at higher temperatures and at larger quantities. Wild grape plants appear in the Late Neolithic (LN) period and potters have now discovered how to change their glaze from an iron based one to a manganese based product. In the Final Neolithic (FN) period once again (as compared to the MN period) shows burials of adults and infants and like the MN the adults are not as extravagant as the infants appear to be. Many experts believe that the FN is just an extension of the LN. (Ancient n.d.). The next major period of time in ancient Greece is known as the Early Bronze Age (2900 - 2000). This period of time is known as when metallurgy was introduced, especially tools, ceremonial objects and weapons that were constructed of bronze. The Bronze Age civilization is known by different titles throughout Greece but the most common was the Early Minoan period named after the king Minos. Greece/pg 3 There are a number of difficulties associated with the establishing the differences in the Early Minoan period compared to the Neolithic period which immediately preceded it. Many of the artifacts from this era were excavated in the early 1900’s and the techniques at that time were not as advanced as what they are now. Many of the artifacts were mishandled or not recorded in an orderly way. One of the aspects that the Early Minoan is known for introduction of the jug shape of pottery and for a large quantity of painted wares. The Minoan period which followed next actually began about 1700 BC in Crete. Here the Minoan’s established a culture and city that was very advanced and very efficient. The society centered on trade and bureaucracy.  “They were a people of magnificent social organization, culture, art, and commerce. There is no evidence that they were a military people; they thrived instead, it seems, on their remarkable mercantile abilities. This lack of a military culture, however, may have spelled their final downfall. For the Minoans also exported their culture as well as goods, and a derivative culture grew up on the mainland of Greece, the Myceneans, who were a war-like people. Strangely enough, the direct inheritors of their traditions may have been the agents of their destruction” (Ancient n.d.). Because they concentrated on producing goods that could be sold to their neighbors they were not ready when a war-like people (the Myceneans) brought war to their city. Shortly thereafter their city and culture were destroyed. Greece/pg 4 This destruction brought an onset of the Dark Ages which lasted approximately three hundred and fifty years. During the Dark Ages, the Greeks did not write literature, paint, make pottery or ceramics or other cultural interests. The Mycenean civilization had been destroyed by the Dorians who reigned for the next several centuries. It wasn’t until the Archaic period that writing and the Phonecian alphabet began to be used again. The Archaic Period (750  -  500 BC) was the period in which the beginnings of Greek monumental stone sculpture and other developments in the naturalistic representation of the human figure came about. During the Archaic Age the Greeks developed the most widespread of their new political forms, the city-state. It was also the period of time when there was a rise of the aristocracies and a Greek colonization of Southern Italy and Sicily (Ancient n.d.). The Classic and Hellenistic Periods followed and were considered the last two periods of ancient Greece. In the Classical period (500-336 BC) the Greeks begin to war with Persia. The city of Athens became very well known and a fully developed democratic government was developed by an Athenian statesman. His name was Pericles. It was also the time when Socrates and Plato lived and established their schools and the Parthenon was built. The Hellenistic Period was the era when the Greeks were conquered by the Romans (who subsequently borrowed much of Greek culture). Not only did the Romans borrow much of the culture and their learning from the Greeks but they also spread that learning and culture around the world by way of the countries which the Romans had conquered. Greece/pg 5 The period most fascinating to some experts was the Dark Ages. The period from 1200 - 800 B.C. is called the Dark Ages or the Geometric Period. “The period is named for pottery decorated with geometric designs that was made by the ruling and warring Doric civilization” (Greece101 2004). It is said that the fall of Mycenaean civilization came about due to the invasion of the of the Dorians. The Dorians were an ancient Greek people from Northern Greece. The Dorians were said to be the sons of a mythical character. The character was Herakles, but with the mythological aspects to the story, it remains a story of much debate (Aquarel n.d.) Now that the Dorians had destroyed the Mycenean culture, they ruled with an iron fist. Much of the Greek culture was lost during this time including the written word, most of their commercial ventures and the Greek people themselves lived in secluded towns that were ruled internally and had very little contact with other towns or civilizations. There were over 100 small cities ruled by monarchists. These cities became known as city-states and by the time the Dark Ages ended there were over 100 of these city-states scattered across the Greek landscape. “Around 900 BC, a new type of political organization emerged, “the polis” a city-state of which Athens and Sparta are prime examples” (Athens n.d.). Towards the end of the Dorian rule in Crete (approximately 900 BC) city states such as Gorty, Phaestos, Knossos, Milatos and more were firmly established. Greece/pg 6 In these city-states resided three distinct social classes; they included; “Periiki' who enjoyed limited political rights, but owned land and were involved in trade; 'Minoites' who worked as slaves in the construction of public works and 'Afamiotes' or 'Klarotes' who were the personal slaves of the Dorians and did all the hard, agricultural work” (Fakia 2001). The pots, jewels and metallic items recovered in Greece from that period of time show evidence of both Dorian and eastern element influences. A new sculpting technique was also developed during the period called the ‘Daedalic’ style. It was named after Daedalus, the sculptor who invented it. Many of his works, and other works from the time frame are currently exhibited in Crete museums. The Dark Ages were also a time with no written language, although by the middle of the eighth century a written language began once again to be used (this was towards the end of the Dark Ages). The language was based on a Semitic alphabet that was used by the Phonecians. Many experts believe that this is probably the same period of time that “the epic poems of Homer, such as the Iliad, became widely known and recorded” (Museum 1997). A normal reaction to the phrase; Dark Ages, conjures up images of a very ignorant society and civilization with no culture at all. This image probably holds true with the Greek Dark Ages as well. The ruling Dorians were harsh and cruel. Greece/pg 7 The true Geometric period begins the art of Greece from 900 – 700 BC where stylistic ceramic decoration had begun to emerge. Pottery and figures are decorated with linear motifs, such as crosshatching, spirals and diamonds. The pots, jewels and metallic items recovered in Greece from that period of time show evidence of both Dorian and eastern element influences. A new sculpting technique was also developed during the period called the ‘Daedalic’ style. It was named after Daedalus, the sculptor who invented it. Many of his works, and other works from the time frame are currently exhibited in Crete museums. This style of decoration is known as the Proto-geometric style, which was used more commonly later on as the Geometric Style. The earliest known Greece temples also date back to this period as well (Schlock 1995). Towards the end of the Geometric Period begins an era of remarkable transformation in Greek society. “The population dramatically increased and proto-urban life re-emerged, bringing with it overcrowding and political tensions. The Greeks moved to new lands to the east and west where they founded commercial trading posts and colonies” (Museum 1997). Even though the Greek “Dark Ages” was a relatively short period of time when compared to the Dark Ages that followed the Roman’s it is still one that many find fascinating and interesting. I was one of those that did so. Greece/pg 8 References Athens, http://aquarel.org/athens/index.php?page=greece&id=geometric, retrieved Feb 22, 2006 Fakia, S (2001), http://www.sfakia-crete.com/sfakia-crete/history.html#14, retrieved Feb 22, 2006 Greece 101, (2004), http://www.greece101.com/glossary.display-lid1-slid80.html?trk=slid80, retrieved Feb 22, 2006 Museum (1997), http://www.museum.upenn.edu/greek_world/Index.html, retrieved Feb 22, 2006 Neolithic Period, http://ancientgreece.com/html/history_frame.htm, retrieved Feb 22, 2006 Schlock, D. (1995), http://dyreschlock.tripod.com/other/art214.htm, retrieved Feb 22, 2006 , Read More