DeepSummary
The episode introduces a new series on the Bronze Age of the Mediterranean region, focusing primarily on ancient Greece and the Minoans and Mycenaeans. The host explains that the Bronze Age, despite its importance, lacks a comprehensive written record, leading later ancient Greeks to develop mythical histories based on archaeological remains. The transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age saw dramatic changes, including the collapse of elite structures and writing systems.
The host discusses how later ancient Greek historians and poets like Homer incorporated elements from the Bronze Age into epic stories and myths about figures like the Minotaur and the Trojan War. This blending of mythology with archaeological evidence helped unite the Greek world under a shared cultural identity. The loss of knowledge from the Bronze Age collapse meant the Iron Age Greeks had to essentially start from scratch.
Looking ahead, the host teases future episodes examining specific Bronze Age cultures like the Minoans, the wider Mediterranean interconnections during this period, conversations with experts on the reasons behind the Bronze Age collapse, and how this pivotal transition paved the way for classical ancient Greek civilization.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The Bronze Age Mediterranean cultures like the Minoans and Mycenaeans left impressive archaeological remains that inspired later Greek mythology and epic literature.
- The collapse of elite power structures in the Bronze Age and loss of writing systems created a knowledge gap that facilitated mythmaking by later Greeks.
- Greek historians attempted to weave archaeological evidence into a coherent mythic history to unite the Greek world under a shared cultural narrative.
- The transition from Bronze Age to Iron Age marked dramatic social and technological changes requiring ancient Greeks to essentially restart civilization.
- Interpretations of archaeological remains and oral traditions, rather than continuous written records, shaped the mythological worldview of classical Greek culture.
- Interconnections between Bronze Age Mediterranean cultures influenced myths and the transmission of knowledge across the region.
- The series aims to examine the rise and fall of cultures like the Minoans and Mycenaeans leading up to the Bronze Age collapse.
- Experts will provide insights into the specific reasons, both human and environmental, behind the dramatic Bronze Age civilizational decline.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “We are unable to translate linear a today, but when it comes to linear b, they weren't using it in ways that we might imagine today. They were using it simply, as far as we know, almost exclusively for palace records.“ by Liv Albert
- “There's actually a really fun possible history for the cyclops as a creature, and that is an elephant skull, because the google it, you can see how somebody would get the idea for a cyclops from the skull of an elephant.“ by Liv Albert
- “The later people sailed through the sea, full of more islands than any one person could ever imagine visiting. And so they thought up a giant one eyed man who might snack on passing sailors or toss rocks big enough to sink their ships.“ by Liv Albert
Entities
Book
Product
Person
Company
Service
Podcast
Episode Information
Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! Greek & Roman Mythology Retold
iHeartPodcasts and Liv Albert
4/2/24
Introducing: the Bronze Age Collapse series. Today, grounding ourselves in a world so far removed from the ancient Greece and its mythic history. Friday, we visit Crete and the Minoans. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!
CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I would be were I referencing the real thing.
Sources: The Landmark Thucydides edited by Robert B. Strassler, translated by Richard Crawley; The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean edited by Eric H. Cline; Rodney Castleden's “Minoans: Life in Bronze Age Crete”; Nicoletta Momigliano's “In Search of the Labyrinth: The Cultural Legacy of Minoan Crete”.
Attributions and licensing information for music used in the podcast can be found here: mythsbaby.com/sources-attributions.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.