ABSTRACT
When we think of ancient Greece, we often think of the practice of direct democracy in Athens, of beautiful classical art and architecture, of the great Greek philosophers, of the Olympic games, or of the birth of the scientific tradition. All of these accomplishments are indeed part of the heritage of ancient Greece and part of the legacy it has bestowed on modern Western Civilization. The first civilized society that is known to have existed in Greece was that of the Minoans, a group of people named for their legendary King Minos. The Minoans lived mainly on the large Greek island of Crete. The Dark Ages in Greece that followed the destruction of the Mycenaean culture were characterized by political instability, declining populations and trade, poverty, isolation, and cultural regression. In both the Mycenaean era and the Dark Ages, Greek society was extremely warlike.
