Every time we refer to the “Dark Ages” the medieval world becomes the first image that takes the minds of many who have a superficial knowledge of History. In addition to being a distant definition of the various features of the medieval period, this expression also appears to highlight a short historical period linked to Ancient Greece.
The “Dark Ages” of Ancient Greece refers to the formation process of the Greek civilization. From the 15th century a. a., the inhabitants of the Island of Crete underwent the invasion of other towns that occupied diverse regions of the Balkan Peninsula. First, the Achaeans imposed their domination giving rise to a new culture that would be responsible for the formation of the Mycenaean civilization.
Soon after, Aeolians and Ionians also began to coexist in this space, taking on a new aspect to regions previously marked exclusively by the development of Cretan civilization. Around the 12th century a. C., the Dorians carried out a violent process of domination marked by the destruction and looting of large urban centers in the Balkan Peninsula.
This advent marked the First Greek Diaspora, a time when the old economic, political and social characteristics present in Balkans lost space to a new series of customs and institutions formulated from the disarticulation caused by the occupation doric. Maritime trade and the various artistic manifestations lost ground to a simpler material culture and an economy of predominantly agricultural character.
In this way, the so-called Greek “Dark Ages” gained ground with the end of the wide range of knowledge and habits maintained by the Creto-Mycenaean civilization. Among other changes that prove this situation, we can also highlight the replacement of ancient funerary rituals and the construction of large tombs for cremation of bodies. At the same time, the use of writing remained absent, appearing three centuries later with the adoption of the alphabet developed by the Phoenicians.
The availability of information about the historical experiences that took place during this period is quite limited. The greatest source of information is found in Iliad and Odyssey, two narratives later recorded by the Greek poet Homer, where he talks about the Trojan War and the adventures of the hero Ulysses. Because of his importance, this poet ended up naming the first two periods of Greek history.
By Rainer Sousa
Graduated in History
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historiag/a-idade-das-trevas-grega.htm