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Greece
Greece The Greek peninsula has been culturally linked with the Aegean Islands, and the west coast of Asia Minor since the Neolithic Age. The numerous natural harbors and close-lying islands lead to a unified, maritime civilization. However cultural unity did not produce political unity. Mountain ranges and deep valleys separated the peninsula into small economic and political units. Constant feuding between cities and surrounding empires for political power made Greece the sight of many battles. Prehistoric Period Archeological evidence shows that a primitive Mediterranean people, closely related to races of northern Africa, lived in the southern Aegean area as far back as the Neolithic Age. A cultural progression from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age started about 3000 BC. This civilization, during the Bronze Age was divided into two main cultures. One on these, called Cretan or Minoan was centered on the island of Crete. The other culture, Helladic (who became Mycenaean) populated mainland Greece. The Minoan culture dominated trade until 1500 BC when the Mycenaeans took control. During the third millennium BC a series of invasions from the north began. The most prominent of the early invaders, who were called the Achaeans, had, in all probability, been forced to migrate by other invaders. They overran southern Greece and established themselves on the Peloponnesus. Many other, vaguely defined tribes, were assimilated in the Helladic culture. Ancient Greece Gradually, in the last period of Bronze Age Greece, the Minoan civilization fused with the mainland. By 1400 BC the Achaeans were in possession of the island itself, and soon afterward gained control of the mainland. The Trojan War, described by Homer in the Iliad, began about 1200 BC and was probably one of a series of wars waged during the 12th and 13th centuries BC. It may have been connected with the last and most important of the invasions which happened at about the same time and brought the Iron Age to Greece. The Dorians left the mountains of Epirus and pushed their way down to Peloponnesus and Crete, using iron weapons to conquer the people of those regions. The Invading Dorians overthrew Achaean kings and settled in the southern and eastern part of the peninsula. The Hellenic Period After the great migrations in the Aegean, the Greek developed a proud racial consciousness. They Called themselves Hellenes. The term Greeks, used by foreign peoples, was derived from Graecia, the Latin for a small Hellenic tribe of Epirus, the first Hellenes that the Romans had dealings with. Out of the mythology that became the basis of an intricate religion, the Hellenes developed a genealogy that traced their ancestry to semidivine heroes. Age of Tyrants The age of Greek tyrants was notable for adva...This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Electronic References. Please register below now! Get This Full Article After Registration
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