The History of Ancient Greece

In this episode, we discuss the transitional governments in the early stages of the centrally unified polis, as the waning power of the basileus becomes supplanted by a landowning group of nobles; the economic and social divisions in the early polis between the nobles and commoners brought on by a spike in population in Greece; and the second great author of ancient Greece, a man named Hesiod, who speaks to us about life and society in the emerging polis from the point of view of the ordinary citizen.

In this episode, we discuss the community (demos), household (oikos), and economy in the late "Dark Age"; and its role in the evolution of the city-state (polis) as a socio-political structure

In this episode, we discuss early Greek religion as formalized by Homer and Hesiod; the development of Panhellenism; and the four predominant Panhellenic sanctuaries of the 8th century BC (Olympia, Delos, Delphi, and Dodona) ca. 800-700 BC - an increase in religious sanctuaries and shrines led to the building of the earliest temples in all parts of the Greek world 776 BC - traditional date for the first Olympic Games

In this episode, we discuss the archaeological evidence for the late "Dark Age" during the 9th and early 8th centuries BC; Greece's cultural reawakening thanks to their contact with the Phoenicians; the development of the Greek alphabet; and the evolution of early "Geometric" vase painting ca. 900-850 BC - in the early Geometric period, Greek potters added new shapes and motifs to their repertoire, featuring sharp angles, zigzags, repeating patterns, and the classic Greek meander pattern ca. 850-750 BC - in the middle Geometric period, Greek potters gradually fill the entire surface of the vase, and they become larger and more ambitious ca. 825 BC - evidence of early Greek-Phoenician-Cypriot cooperation can be seen in the establishment of a trading post at Al-Mina in northern Syria ca. 800 BC - the economic recovery of Greece was in full effect; the Greeks adapted the Phoenician script into the first alphabetic script with vowels ca. 775-750 BC - a group of colonists from Chalcis and Eretria in Euboea and from Cyme in Aeolus, together with the Phoenicians, established a colony at Pithekoussai on the island of Ischia in the Bay of Naples ca. 750-700 BC - in the late Geometric Period, Greek vase painters began to depict living creatures once again in group scenes that told a kind of story ca. 740 BC - the Euboeans established a colony at Cumae, directly adjacent of Ischia on the Italian mainland, making it the oldest Greek-only colony in the west and giving them access to the Etruscans

In this episode, we discuss the archaeological evidence for the early "Dark Age" during the 11th and 10th centuries BC; the emigration of Greeks to Anatolia; and the first great author of ancient Greece, a man named Homer, who gives us incite into the society and culture of the early Dark Age through his two great epic poems---the Iliad and the Odyssey ca. 1200-1000 BC - following the collapse of the Mycenaean palace economy, famine and emigration set the stage for a massive population drop in Greece ca. 1125-1050 BC - the period following the aftermath of the palace destructions, is known as Sub-Mycenaean, since the pottery is still recognizably Mycenaean but much inferior in quality ca. 1050-900 BC - renewed artistic vigor can be seen in the pottery of the proto-Geometric style, so called because the designs are simple abstract geometric shapes like horizontal and wavy lines, circles, and semicircles within bands around the neck and belly ca. 1050-900 BC - waves of emigration began eastward to the western coast of Anatolia and the Aegean islands ca. 900 BC - weapons and tools were being made with iron, populations began to inch upwards at a steady pace

In this episode, we discuss the Trojan War myth; the historical evidence for Mycenaean conflict in Anatolia; the Bronze Age collapse in both Greece and the Near East; and the so-called "Dorian Invasion" southwards into Greece ca. 1430 BC - An anti-Hittite uprising, supported by the Ahhiyawans, forced the Hittites to put down two different rebellions in northwestern Anatolia ca. 1400 BC - An Ahhiyawan warlord, named Attarsiya (Atreus?), attacked Hittite vassals in western Anatolia before being defeated by the Hittites ca. 1315 BC - Another anti-Hittite uprising, with the support of the Ahhiyawans, forced the Hittites to take military action in western Anatolia ca. 1300 BC - Troy VI is destroyed by an earthquake ca. 1295 BC - Wilusa (Troy) is attacked by a Hittite vassal king, named Piyama-Radu (Priam?) ca. 1280 BC - Alaksandsus (Alexander/Paris?), the king of Wilusa (Troy) signs a treaty with the Hittite king, Muwatalli II, pledging military support to any campaigns that the Hittites should enter 1274 BC - The Wilusans (Trojans) fought alongside Muwatalli II and the Hittites against Rameses II and the Egyptians in the battle of Kadesh ca. 1250 BC - Another anti-Hittite movement broke out and was supported by the king of Ahhiyawa, resulting in Wilusa being ravaged (Trojan War?) ca. 1250-1190 BC - Troy VIIa was destroyed by fire ca. 1250 BC - various cities repelled invaders from the north, but heavy damage was done, leading to an increase in defensive fortifications ca. 1230 BC - the power of the Hittites began to wane under Tudhaliya IV, after they were defeated by the Assyrians in the Battle of Nihriya ca. 1210 BC - the Hittite king, Suppiluliuma II, had to fight off an invasion fleet coming from the direction of Cyprus using Levantine ships, including a naval battle against Alashiya off the coast of Cyprus 1207 BC - the Egyptian pharaoh, Merneptah, pushes out the so-called "Sea Peoples" from the Nile Delta 1205 BC - the Hittite capital of Hattusa was sacked and destroyed, probably by the proto-Phrygians (an Indo-European tribe from Thrace) ca. 1200 BC - Pylos was destroyed by fire ca. 1190-1180 BC - The fortresses of Mycenae and Tiryns were felled by an earthquake, both were able to recover but were weakened ca. 1190 BC - Various Syrian and Canaanite cities were sacked by the Sea Peoples, notably Ugarit 1181 BC - the Egyptian pharaoh, Rameses III, pushes out the Sea Peoples again 1177 BC - Rameses III pushes out the Sea Peoples for a third time from the Nile Delta, but in the process Egyptian power was severely weakened ca. 1150 BC - Mycenae was attacked for a second time from the north, but this time it did not recover

In this episode, we discuss the archaeological evidence for the Mycenaean Greeks of the late Bronze Age, ca. 1650-1250 BC ca. 1650-1500 BC - Grave Circles A and B at Mycenae show that the Minoans on Crete began to exercise a dominant influence on Mycenaean culture ca. 1600 BC - two-wheeled chariots made their way to Greece, probably through the Hittites of Anatolia ca. 1500 BC - Tholos tombs began to appear ca. 1450-1250 BC - the apex of Mycenaean civilization after they surpassed the Minoans as the dominant commercial power in the Aegean region ca. 1450 BC - Linear B developed ca. 1325 BC - Uluburun shipwreck shows extent of Mycenaean trade network ca. 1300 BC - "Pictorial Style" in vase-painting developed ca. 1300 BC - "Warrior Vase" shows changes in Mycenaean weaponry ca. 1250 BC - "Lion Gate" at Mycenae was constructed

In this episode, we discuss the myths and archaeological evidence for the Minoans on the island of Crete, who were an early source of cultural inspiration for the Mycenaean Greeks; the volcanic eruption that blew apart the island of Thera in the mid-17th century BC and was a catalyst for the decline of the Minoan civilization; and the ultimate subordination of the Minoans by the Mycenaean Greeks in the 15th and 14th centuries BC. ca. 2000-1700 BC - Proto-Palatial or "Old Palace" Period ca. 1900 BC - Cretan Hieroglyphics developed ca. 1800 BC - Linear A developed ca. 1700 BC - great earthquake destroyed the palaces at Knossos, Phaistos, Mallia, and Zakros ca. 1700-1600 BC - Neo-Palatial or "New Palace" Period ca. 1650 BC - volcanic eruption on island of Thera ca. 1450 BC - Phaistos, Mallia, and Zakros were sacked and burned by the Mycenaean Greeks ca. 1450 BC - Linear B developed ca. 1350 BC - Knossos was sacked and burned by the Mycenaean Greeks, marking the end of the Minoans

In this episode, we discuss the archaeological evidence for the early Bronze Age on mainland Greece and the Cycladic Islands; the arrival of the Indo-Europeans; and the rediscovery of three legendary Bronze Age cities (Troy, Knossos, and Mycenae) in the latter part of the 19th century AD ca. 3000-2100 BC - early Bronze Age in Greece ca. 2100-1900 BC - Proto-greeks (part of Indo-Europeans) arrive in Greece in waves ca. 2100-1600 BC - middle Bronze Age in Greece; proto-Greeks mingle with the native Aegean culture to develop a distinctly Helladic culture

In this episode, we leave the realm of myth and trace the development of early human activity in Greece, culminating in the domestication of plants and animals and the rise of the earliest villages ca. 200,000 BC - first hominid skull found in Greece (at the Petralona Cave) ca. 50,000 BC - Neanderthals migrate into the Balkans ca. 40,000 BC - the first Homo Sapiens (the Cro-Magnons) wipe out Neanderthals mysteriously ca. 20,000 BC - earliest Homo Sapiens evidence in Greece can be found at the Franchthi Cave ca. 10,000 BC - end of Paleolithic Period/last Ice Age ca. 7,000 BC - agriculture reaches Greece ca. 5,000 BC - Neolithic villages develop in Macedonia and Thessaly at Nea Nikomedeia, Sesklo, and Dimini ca. 4,000 BC - metallurgy reaches Greece

In this episode, we take a look at Creation, according to the Greeks

The first part of this episode is a brief introduction to the podcast; who I am, what my motivation is for doing this, and what I hope to achieve (0:43), and in the second part, we describe the geography of Greece and its natural resources (04:37) Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/2016/04/001-let-there-be-greece.html Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofancientgreecepodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehistoryofancientgreecepodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/greekhistorypod Email: ryanmstitt@gmail.com