Transcript Seafaring Traders

Bell Ringer
If you were designing a
civilization…
Where would it
be located?
Why?
What are the
disadvantages
and
advantages
of this area?
Seafaring
Traders
•Minoans
•Mycenaeans
•Phoenicians
MINOANS
• Traders in the
Mediterranean
Sea
• Island of Crete
• Southern edge
of Aegean Sea
• Major influence
on the Greeks
• Knossos:
capital city
Minoans – Capital: Knossos
Minos’ palace – Throne Room
Minoan Life
• Peaceful
• Loved nature
• Athletic people
– Boxing
– Wrestling
– bull leaping
• Cult of the bull
– Sacrifices to gods
Women
• Higher rank than other
cultures
• A Great Mother Earth
Goddess ruled over other
gods of Crete
• Priestesses took charge of
shrines
– Aided by male assistants
King Minos
• Had a Minotaur (half man
– half bull) as a pet
• Kept the monster locked
in a labyrinth (maze) of
which there was no
escape!
• Later, Greek myths will
include this mythical
creature
– Ex. Percy Jackson
What happened?
•
Natural disasters
• 1470 BCE – Earthquake or volcano
• Unable to rebuild cities
•
Possibly taken over by invaders
•
Phoenicians become most powerful
traders in Mediterranean
Mycenaeans
Mycenaean Culture
• Came to power when
Minoans disappear
• Lived on Greek
mainland
• Great warrior nation:
“Heroic Age”
– We know this from pictures and
written records
Mycenaean Culture
• Perseus (from Greek
mythology) supposedly
founded Mycenae
• Setting in the Iliad
• Important place during
the Trojan War
– Agamemnon’s brother is
married to Helen, who runs
off with Paris from
Troy…starting the Trojan
War
• Influenced Greek
religion and mythology
Phoenicians - Geography
• Rose to power during the Dark Age
• City-States – Byblos, Tyre, Sidon – trading
centers
Phoenicians Trading
• Trading Centers/Colonies
– Northern coast of Africa
– Coasts of Sicily, Sardinia,
and Spain
– Greatest colony - Carthage
• Items traded:
– Purple dye
– Wood, metal, glass, and
ivory products
– Goods from other lands
• slaves
• weapons
• wine
Phoenician Accomplishments
• Went past the Strait of
Gibraltar
• Sailed around Africa
• Writing System
–
–
–
–
Alphabet
Phonetics
Purple dye
Trading boats
The End of the
Phoenicians…
• While things are going well for the Phoenicians…
• The Persians rise to power and are slowly conquering
everyone…and will eventually control this area of the
Mediterranean and these people.
» Cyr
Cyrus the Great
» Pers
-Persian King