Mycenaean Greece & Dark Ages: The Age of Heroes and Collapse
The world of Mycenae, Linear B and the Trojan War, followed by the collapse of the Bronze Age and centuries of decline. Explore the age of heroes and the Dark Ages that followed.
Key Events of Mycenaean Greece & the Dark Ages
The Story of Mycenaean Greece & the Dark Ages
The Mycenaeans were the first Greek-speaking civilization, the warrior kingdoms behind the legends of Agamemnon, Achilles and the Trojan War. From around 1600 BC, rulers at Mycenae, Pylos, Tiryns and Thebes built fortified palaces with massive walls and filled their tombs with gold. They adopted writing from the Minoans and created Linear B, the oldest known form of written Greek, which was deciphered in 1952. Around 1200 BC, the Mycenaean palaces were destroyed during the wider Bronze Age collapse that shook the whole eastern Mediterranean, possibly through war, drought, earthquakes, internal unrest or invasion. Greece then entered the so-called Dark Ages, when population fell, writing disappeared and trade declined. Yet the period also brought important change. Greeks learned to work iron, migrated across the Aegean to settle the coast of Asia Minor, and kept the memory of the heroic age alive in stories and songs. Those stories would later become the epic poems of Homer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Mycenaean world like?
The Mycenaeans were the first Greek-speaking civilization, ruling mainland Greece from around 1600 to 1200 BC from fortified palaces at Mycenae, Pylos, Tiryns and Thebes.
Were the Mycenaeans the heroes of Homer?
Homer's heroes, such as Agamemnon and Achilles, belong to the Mycenaean age, although the Iliad and Odyssey were composed centuries later and mix history with legend.
What are the Greek Dark Ages?
The Greek Dark Ages were the period from around 1100 to 800 BC, after the Mycenaean collapse, when population fell, writing disappeared and trade declined.
Why did Mycenaean civilization collapse?
Historians suggest a combination of causes, including war, drought, earthquakes, internal unrest, the disruption of trade and the attacks of the Sea Peoples around 1200 BC.
Were the Dark Ages really dark?
Not entirely. The period brought ironworking, migration to Asia Minor and the stories that became Homer's epics, and recent finds show more trade than once believed.
Explore Other Eras of Greek History
