The Greek Middle Ages: c. 1125 - c.700 BC
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Economic expansion and the rising "middle class"
It is no contradiction that the deterioration in the conditions of one class runs hand in hand with the economic rise of another. The colonies had corn to spare for export, and this was imported by mainland Greece, particularly Athens but also the Peloponnese; mainland Greece, in turn, exported luxury goods. Thus the seventh and sixth centuries were a period of considerable economic growth throughout the Greek world of the Mediterranean. The greater trade created new sources of wealth - manufacturers and merchants - who were potential rivals for power in the city state. The rising standards of living for the merchant class were a stimulus to revolutionary developments in art, literature and politics. Thus another factor in the rise of tyrants would be the rise of this new economically powerful class of merchants and industrialists. The landed aristocracy resented this and fought against sharing power with them. The poetry of Theognis of Megara (c. 550 BC) reflects aristocratic feelings of outrage at seeing power going to people "unworthy" of it. Thucydides explicitly refers to the increasing wealth of Greece as a factor in the rise of tyrannies. By contrast Hesiod also stands for the "middle-classes" - he is a malcontent who is criticizing narrow aristocratic society. By contrast, Homer represents to the aristocratic point-of-view, and his portrayal of the heroes of the golden age, who are brave and honourable, but sensitive and vengeful, would strike a resonant cord with his aristocratic audience. But during the C7th BC the voices of protest, represented by Hesiod, became more influential.
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Contents of
The Greek Middle Ages: c. 1125 - c.700 BC
1 Population growth and land hunger
2 Economic expansion and the rising "middle class"
3 Cultural developments in Greece during the period of tyrannies
4 Hoplite tactics
5 Factional politics
6 Ethnic tensions
7 The downfall of tyrants in archaic Greece
8 The Dorian and Ionic migrations
9 The Dorians
10 Greek Dark age
11 The Greek City States
12 Greek colonization of the C8th BC
13 Greek colonization of the Aegean and East
14 Greek settlers in the Euxine
15 Causes of the Greek colonization
16 Archaeological evidence for Greek population expansion in C8th BC
17 Foundation of Cyrene
18 Corcyra
19 Olbia
20 The Lelantine war
21 Relations with Egypt
22 Greek Culture during the Greek Middle Ages
23 Introduction of phonetic script
24 Homer
25 Hesiod
26 Foundation of the Olympic Games
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