Introduction to Greece History

Greece/Hellas

The history of Hellas starts somewhere in the prehistory, but the Glory of Greece starts with the Mycenaean civilisation which was influenced by a "forgotten" civilisation: the Minoic kingdom. Dark ages follow this golden era, but the pattern for the future is set with the invasion of the Dorians and the rise of the Polis. Several conflicts with the immense Persian empire show the power of city-states. However, internal conflicts for hegemony push Hellas into the hands of Macedon who ends the indepency of Hellas by conquering it. Greek culture is spread out over Asia Minor with Macedonian conquests, but eventually it is Rome who becomes the new worldpower.

Prehistory and Earliest history (till 800BC) The Minoic civilisation flourished during this period and was the cause for the birth of the Mycenaean civilisation on the mainland of Hellas. It was the time of the palace cultures: enormous strongholds on hills. A coalition of these cities formed an expedition and destroyed Troy. Everybody has heard of this as Homer wrote one of the most succesfull books in history about it: the Illiad.

Stone age (6000-3000)
Bronze age (2800-1050)
Early and middle Helladic (2800-1550)
Early and middle Minoic (2800-1550)
Late Helladic and Minoic (1550-1050)
Troy and the Troyan war The Dorian invasion (1100-950)
The Homeric society (1000-800)