The discovery of the Minoans and Mycenaeans’ cultures changed the Classical Greeks’ understanding because the Greeks based their religion, politics, trade, and war on the tradition of Minoans and Mycenaeans. Although the Classical Greeks were viewed as a cultured society, their ancestors had a civilized society that made large ships and traded with other civilizations, such as the Egyptians (Gorogianni et al., 2016).
Moreover, the Classical Greeks cherished Minoans and Myceneans by respecting their gods and warriors, such as Achilles, Agamemnon, Odysseus, and Menelaus, who were all Myceneans. Additionally, these legends were accorded immortal life through art activities, such as painting, pottery, sculpture, and literature. For instance, the story of the Trojan War is based on the conflict between the Hittites and Myceneans. In other words, the classical Greeks culture was entirely based on the Myceneans and Minoans, hence making them the founder of Greeks civilization.
The ‘Dark Ages’ were not dark as they are usually referred to because numerous activities were occurring. Since powerful kingdoms had fallen, people were still organized into different groups, and their powerful institutions still governed the citizens. For instance, churches had a strong influence on how people were supposed to conduct themselves. Even though the whole period is regarded as the ‘Dark Ages, numerous agricultural innovations were introduced in Europe (Pruitt, 2018).
For instance, agricultural activities started taking place in northern Europe due to the heavy plow invention that could be used to till the clay soils. Initially, agriculture was mainly done in the south due to the region’s loose soils. Additionally, a horse collar was invented to distribute weight equally when the horses plowed or pulled a wagon. In other words, the era was not so “dark” and was a pathway that led the generation to a better future.
It is important to know Homer because he was an epic archaic storyteller from Ancient Greece, who used narratives to tell the stories of the great heroes, and myths passed on from one generation to another. As a result, he has enabled the current generation to understand themselves by relating to the past heroes. Additionally, through Homer, people can learn the beliefs and morals of society. Moreover, he is regarded as the all-time educator of the entire Greece due to his tremendous contribution to enlightening the community, especially through his famous “Iliad” story. Therefore, the current generation needs to know him.
References
Gorogianni, E., Pavúk, P., & Girella, L. (2016). Beyond thalassocracies: Understanding processes of Minoanisation and Mycenaeanisation in the Aegean. Oxbow Books.
Pruitt, S. (2018). 6 reasons the dark ages weren’t so dark. History. Web.