We explain what the Mycenaean civilization was, its history and how it was discovered. Also, what are its characteristics, architecture and more.
The Mycenaean civilization settled in the Peloponnese, south of present-day Greece.
What was the Mycenaean civilization?
The Mycenaean civilization was a civilization that developed in Greece between the 17th and 12th centuries BC., in the era before the civilization we know as Ancient Greece. It is named after the powerful kingdom of Mycenae, which together with the rest of the Achaean kingdoms, managed to control the trade and politics of the eastern Mediterranean.
During centuries, Modern society considered the Mycenaean civilization to be a mythical culture., evoked by the Greeks of classical antiquity. However, in the 19th century, Heinrich Schliemann promoted a series of investigations that led to the archaeological discovery of the cities of Troy, Mycenae and the rest of the Achaean cities.
Characteristics of the Mycenaean civilization are the legends of the Trojan War, which reached the Greeks of classical times through myths and legends. In The Iliad and The Odyssey, the poet Homer (8th century AD) narrated these stories and made the Mycenaean civilization a fundamental antecedent of Greek culture in the ancient world.
See also: Byzantine civilization
Culture of the Mycenaean civilization
Many cities were built on heights to facilitate their defense.
The main cultural features of the Mycenaean civilization are:
- Founding myth of Mycenae. According to classical Greek mythology, Perseus was a demigod son of Zeus, king of the gods, and Danae was a mortal daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos. Perseus became the legitimate king of Argos when he accidentally killed his grandfather Acrisius. However, Perseus rejected the throne and gave it to his uncle Megapenthes. Instead of reigning over Argos, Perseus decided to found a new city, which he called Mycenae..
- Writing. The Mycenaean civilization developed a type of writing that historians call Linear B. On clay tablets they recorded the production and exchanges that took place from the palaces.
- Architecture. Mycenaean architecture was characterized by the fortification of urban centers. Usually there was an acropolis, that is, an elevated part of the city that facilitated its defense. Also characteristic of this culture are the palaces that were organized around a set of patios. The palaces were administrative centers that included, in addition to warehouses and workshops, a central hall where the throne was located.
- The Trojan War. The Trojan War was a military conflict between the people of the Greek peninsula and the inhabitants of Troy, a city in Asia Minor. For centuries, modern civilization considered this fact a myth. However, with the discovery of Mycenae, it was proven that there was not only a war between the Greeks and Trojans, but also a series of Greek expeditions to Troy during the Bronze Age, between the 13th and 12th centuries BC. C. The Trojan War was narrated in the poems The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer, a poet who lived in the 8th century BC. c.
Geographic and temporal location of the Mycenaean civilization
Around 1600 BC. C., The Achaeans (a people of Indo-European origin) migrated to the eastern Mediterranean region and settled in the Peloponnese peninsula. Over time, they expanded throughout the region and began to challenge the commercial supremacy led by the Cretan kingdoms.
The kingdom of Mycenae established itself as the most powerful among the Achaean peoples.. Around 1450 BC. C., he conquered Crete and took over the palace of Knossos, its main urban center.
For almost 200 years the Mycenaean civilization controlled the eastern MediterraneanIn the mid-13th century BC, several Mycenaean kingdoms joined forces to conquer the city of Troy, which controlled the passage from the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea, which was essential to the trade network of the time.
However, A crisis disrupted the power of the Achaeans in the region and led to the depopulation of several regions of Greece. Some historians believe that this was due to the arrival of the Dorian peoples and their military superiority (they possessed iron weapons). Others believe that the disputes between the different Achaean kingdoms led to the weakening of their power.
Political organization of the Mycenaeans
The Mycenaean civilization It was divided into a series of allied kingdoms but independent. The most important Mycenaean kingdoms were Mycenae, Tiryns, Orchomenos and Pylos.
These kingdoms They were led by a warrior aristocracy and a set of officialsThe wanax (king) was the most important authority in each kingdom and concentrated political, military and economic power. He was supported by a military leader, known as lawagetas and a military troop, called labeled. Next in the political hierarchy were the telestai, who performed lower-ranking administrative and military functions.
Economy of the Mycenaean civilization
The basis of the Mycenaean economy It was organized around agriculture, livestock, crafts and trade.. Production was carried out by free men, and the palace group was responsible for registering and supervising, through its officials, all the activities of the economic system.
The peasant population was dedicated to agriculture, mainly cereals, olive trees and vineyards and to raising sheep and goats. Around the palaces, artisan work was organized.which included textile and metallurgical production.
Mycenaean religion
In Mycenae there were rituals in which offerings were made to the gods.
The Mycenaean religion was polytheistic, that is, they believed in several godsThe representations of their gods were anthropomorphic: they resembled human beings and shared habits and behaviors.
Although the exact Mycenaean pantheon is not known, many gods who belonged to the later classical Greek culture were taken from this culture. According to mythology, Zeus ruled the divine pantheon from the summit of Mount Olympus. Each divinity represented a characteristic or attribute:
- Hermes: messenger of Olympus
- Ares: God of War
- Athena: goddess of war and the arts
- Dionisio: god of wine and pleasures
- Sagebrush: goddess of nature
Mycenaean society
The society It was differentiated by its wealth and its access to power.
At the top of the social ladder was he wanax (king) with his court of officialsLike the lawagetasand the religious priests, called telestai. These positions were held by an aristocracy that lived in the cities and was maintained through tribute and the commercial activity of the kingdom.
The rest of the citizens constituted the we give (town). Farmers were to respond to the authority of the basileis, who were the leaders of the villages. In order to gain possession of the land, peasants had to perform tasks at their request. In addition, there were artisans who worked for the palaces and the royal court. They especially stood out in the production of weapons and decorative objects.
Finally, There were slaves, who were not considered part of the we giveThey were prisoners of war and their descendants, and they had no rights.
Discovery of Mycenae
Schliemann did research in Greece to find Mycenae.
Heinrich Schliemann was a Prussian millionaire interested in ancient history and archaeology. Attracted by the story of the Trojan War, In 1870 he carried out investigations that led to the ruins of the city of Troy.which until then the scientific community considered a myth.
Once the real existence of Troy was confirmed, Schliemann continued his investigations in Greek territory to find Mycenae, the city where the expedition to Troy had originated.
In 1874 he made discoveries that confirmed the existence of a culture after the Minoan heyday and prior to the so-called Dark Ages. Because it was discovered in the city of Mycenae, the culture was called Mycenaean.
References
- Pomeroy, S., Burstein, S.M., Donlan, W., & Tolbert, J. (2003). Early Greece and the Bronze Age. Ancient Greece. Editorial Criticism
- Fernández Nieto, FJ (2005). Pre-Hellenic civilizations and the Mycenaean world. Ancient history of Greece and Rome. Tirant lo Blanch.