The Greek Empire: The Reign Of Greece

The reign the Greek empire started in approximately 2000 B.C. with the arrival of the Greeks in Greece, and ended in 338 B.C. with the downfall of Greece. There were three different dialects of the Greek language in Balkans. The Aeolians, the Ionian, and the Dorian. Though they spoke different forms of the same language they considered themselves a related and distinct race. They united and created the society Mycenaean. Early Mycenaean Greeks built temples and palaces in the cities Thebes, Athens, Tiryns, and Pylos. A palace was a symbol of a king's power and wealth which was the economical capital of the kingdom. Where craftsmen made jewelry, ornaments, pottery, weapons, clothing, and other goods. The palaces scribes kept records of taxes,
inventories of he the kings possessions, along with offerings to the gods. Early contact with the Minoans was peaceful but around 1450 B.C. the Mycenaean's attacked and decimated Crete. The kingdoms of Greece Benefited with the fall of the Minoans expanding there trade through out the Aegean. This prosperity did not bring peace, for kingdoms began to fall against invaders. The Fall of Mycenaean kingdoms promoted a period of poverty. However the Greeks thrived and preserved there culture and civilization they saw a need for change and created the first polis or "city state". Each polis shared a similarly features each cities water supply came from public fountains, springs, and cisterns. They were usually surrounded by a wall and had an acropolis or public square. Average polis did not have a standing army but relied on its citizens to protect it. Each polis was ruled in one of several ways. Monarchy or rule of one person. This was where a king represented the community and reigned over them. Aristocracy where only the cream of society had authority. Oligarchy or rule of a few that need not be aristocratic birth. Democracy or power of the people. Where all men had a say in the government. Last tyranny where an individual gained power there unconstitutional means. Out of all of those Democracy and oligarchy was the most popular.