The Heroic AgeThe Mycenaeans

The Mycenaeans:

• The Mycenaeans: As the intriguing Minoan Civilization disappeared, due to natural disasters or losses in war, a new tribe, the Mycenaeans, came to power on the Greek mainland.

• The Mycenaeans believed themselves to be great warriors. They fought with everyone with whom they came in contact. Some people think that they might have been responsible for the disappearance of the Minoan civilization. They fought with stone weapons.

The Mycenaean age is sometimes called the “Heroic Age” or The Age of Heroes. This is because much of their art depicts single warriors performing heroic feats, sometimes in war and sometimes against wild animals.

• We know quite a bit about the ancient Mycenaeans because they wrote things down. We know, for example, they worshiped a great many gods. The ancient Mycenaeans prayed to their gods for help. They expected their gods to take care of them, provided they said the right words in the right way.

• The Mycenaeans built their palaces on hilltops. By building on hilltops, the Mycenaeans caught what rainwater they could. These early people learned from experience that if you drank dirty water, you got sick or died. A source of clean water was very important to them, as it is to all people, everywhere. They built on hilltops, but they also prayed to their gods to make their water safe to drink.