Homer and the Dark Age of Greece

By 1200 BC, the Mycenaean realm had diminished, primarily due to Dorian invasion. The Dorians did not have the artistic abilities of the Mycenaean people, nor did they record any written information. As a result, we have little knowledge of that era in history, which we now call the Greek Dark Age. However, the Dorians preserved the stories of Mycenae through poetic sagas, which were extensive poetic tales of legend, myth, and battle. These sagas were recited by professional poets called bards, who were often hired by the richer class to entertain at parties. One particularly famous bard, Homer, wrote the two popular poems, The Iliad, and The Odyssey.

Homer lived around 900 BC and is believed to have been blind. Both of his poems focused on the time period of the Trojan War; the Iliad telling of the ten-year battle for Helen of the fair cheeks and the Odyssey of the war leader Odysseus and his adventures home from the war. Homer’s poems became a primary means of education in ancient Greece as well as ancient Rome. A man was not considered educated unless he knew Homer’s poems by heart.

But today there is conflict on the subject of Homer. Was it truly him who wrote the poems? Some believe that they might be a collection of works from various poets, combined into one story, although no one is absolutely positive. Was he actually blind? Truthfully, we do not know for sure. Whatever the case may be, Homer’s poems have been inspiration for poets, story-tellers, play-writers and authors ever since they were first told.

In 800BC, the art of writing returned to Greece. The country began to flourish and the culture became vivid once more as Greece entered the Archaic Period, soon to be followed by the Classical and Hellenistic periods. At the turn of each period, the arts and styles changed, but throughout the history of Greece, Homer’s poems were not forgotten, and they are still preserved to this day.

-Grayce, South Carolina

Mycenaean Pottery

By 1450 BC, a group of Greeks, known as the Mycenaean people, had established themselves in the region from Thessaly to southern Peloponnesus. They were feared and respected by neighboring countries because of their aggressive nature and dominating power. However, the Mycenaean people were artistic, and they had a vivid culture. There were many different crafts, including metal working and architecture, but perhaps the most important was pottery.

Mycenaean potters were greatly inspired by the Minoan and west Asian styles. The designs varied from geometric lines and patterns to battle scenes and imaginary beasts. The background of their pottery was light tan and the design was painted on in black, or sometimes red, paint. Occasionally potters were hired by the king and had their workshops on the acropolis, where the vases, pitchers and pots they produced went out to be traded or given as pay to other craftsmen.

In c. 1200 BC, Dorian invaders came in and sacked Mycenae, causing the thriving civilization to end. The town was forgotten, and was believed just to be a legend from Homers Iliad. But, in 1870, an archeologist named Heinrich Schliemann discovered the city. Because the pottery styles were constantly changing and developing, archeologists have a reliable way to date Mycenaean periods chronologically. Thanks to their pottery, we can learn a lot more about the Mycenaean people.

-Grayce, Charleston

The Hyksos Invasion of Egypt

Around the time period of 1730-1570 B.C., Egypt was ruled by the Hyksos. Irritated by them, the Egyptians tried to ward-off the Hyksos. Regardless of many desperate attempts and times of misery, the Egyptians finally, after one hundred and fifty years, were rid of the Hyksos.

Before the Hyksos invaded, Egypt was very wealthy. But Egypt needed one thing badly: an army. While Egypt was growing wealthier and wealthier, it was also growing weaker and weaker. Egypt had been neglecting her forces. Now she relied on the deserts to hold off enemies.

But the deserts were not effective. About 1730 B.C., the brutal, aggressive Hyksos people came from the desert area of present day Arabia and Syria and invaded Egypt. Nearly defenseless, the Egyptians were no match for the Hyksos. With their bronze weaponry and their chariots, which the Egyptians had never seen before, the Hyksos seamed undefeatable.

The Hyksos swept through Egypt, conquering and raiding cities with ease. The Hyksos made a new capital in the delta Avarias. For 150 years, the Egyptians were ruled by the wretched and vile foreigners. The Hyksos changed Egypt in many ways. They simplified the Egyptian language; they deeply encouraged trades like spinning and weaving. However, the largest change was ceasing the construction of great monuments.

The Hyksos occasionally let a puppet pharaoh ‘rule’, but this puppet pharaoh really had no authority at all. Hyksos sometimes let local rulers alone, but made them pay tribute. At some point, local rulers in Thebes in the south refused to pay tribute and started to make war on the Hyksos. Many attempts to rid the Hyksos of Egypt were attempted. King Seqenenra led forces against the Hyksos, but his attempt was in vain; as were the others.

The whole of Egypt was devastated. When would they be able to force the Hyksos out of Egypt? The Egyptians wanted pure blood Egyptians ruling again. Would their dream come true?

It seemed impossible until Ahmose 1, a brave and confident young ruler, proved them wrong and raised a powerful, Egyptian army. Successfully, he and his men drove the Hyksos out of Egypt. Ahmose founded the 18th Dynasty. Ahmose believed it was Amon-ra who led him into victory against the Hyksos. Egypt was to enjoy one of its most thriving times.
-Grayce in South Carolina