| The Mycenaeans Contributor(s): Castleden, Rodney (Author) |
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ISBN: 0415249236 ISBN-13: 9780415249232 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $171.00 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: May 2005 Annotation: The Mycenaean World was the world of the heroes who conquered Troy. Those heroes stood at the heart of Greek self-perception for centuries after the fall of their civilization. Since the rediscovery of the remains of the civilization of Mycenae by Heinrich Schliemann in the 1870s, knowledge of these Greeks of the Bronze Age has increased steadily. Stepping into the place of the collapsed civilization of Minoan Crete and the Peloponnese (the subject of Castleden's earlier bestselling study, Minoans), the Mycenaeans dominated mainland Greece and the Greek islands from about 1600-1250 BC. Their exploits became the subject of the legends that were immortalized by Homer. In lively prose informed by the latest research, Castleden lays out the fundamental traits of Mycenaean civilization, its hierarchy, economy, religion and arts. Controversially, Castleden interprets the well-known palaces of Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos and elsewhere as temples. Their sea empire and the their relations with other peoples of the Bronze Age world, including the Hittites, the Egyptians and the Trojans, receive full attention. The causes of the end of their civilization are discussed. The book is an indispensable starting point for the study of the Greek Bronze Age. Full bibliography and copious illustration support this comprehensive interpretation of a civilization whose legend still lives on. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Ancient - Greece |
| Dewey: 938.8 |
| LCCN: 2004019550 |
| Series: Peoples of the Ancient World (Hardcover) |
| Physical Information: 0.73" H x 6.12" W x 9.54" (1.38 lbs) 296 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) - Cultural Region - Greece |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Following on from Rodney Castleden's best-selling study Minoans, this major contribution to our understanding of the crucial Mycenaean period clearly and effectively brings together research and knowledge we have accumulated since the discovery of the remains of the civilization of Mycenae in the 1870s. In lively prose, informed by the latest research and using a full bibliography and over 100 illustrations, this vivid study delivers the fundamentals of the Mycenaean civilization including its culture, hierarchy, economy and religion. Castleden introduces controversial views of the Mycenaean palaces as temples, and studies their impressive sea empire and their crucial interaction with the outside Bronze Age world before discussing the causes of the end of their civilization. Providing clear, easy information and understanding, this is a perfect starting point for the study of the Greek Bronze Age. |