The Homeric Period corresponds to the second period of development of Greek civilization that occurred after the pre-Homeric period, between the years 1150 BC. to 800 BC.
The name given to this phase is related to the Greek poet Homer, author of the epic poems “The Iliad” and the “Odyssey”.
Periods of Ancient Greece
First of all, remember that the history of Ancient Greece is divided into four periods, namely:
- Pre-Homeric Period (20th - 12th centuries BC)
- Homeric Period (12th - 8th centuries BC)
- Archaic Period (8th - 6th centuries BC)
- Classical Period (5th - 4th centuries BC)
Learn more about the topic in the article:Ancient Greece.
Summary:Features of the Homeric Period
With the invasion of the Dorian peoples in the Greek regions, the society of the time suffered in the period before the Greek diaspora (dispersion of diverse peoples), given the violent way they took and destroyed several cities of Greek Hellas.
After this event, which put an end to the previous period (pre-Homeric), Greek society went through a phase of restructuring, which began with the Homeric period.
Thus, several Greek colonies are founded and the genos, a type of family social organization developed from this period, appear. In other words, this phase marked the replacement of the Mycenaean culture by the gentile one (of the genos).
The main characteristics of the genos were:closed system, autonomous and self-sufficient (economic independence), so that collective work was carried out by members of the same family.
They were commanded by the Pater , the head and ultimate authority of those organizations that possessed political, military, and religious authority. Thus, the genos were patriarchal societies whose members shared blood ties.
In the genos, the goods were common to all the inhabitants, that is, it was based on an egalitarian society, where its members (the gens) cultivated the lands and raised animals for the sustenance of all.
However, this system of economic and social organization went into decline, leading to the “second Greek diaspora”.
The breakdown of gentile communities occurred because the population grew and sought better living conditions. So, over time, the work on the genos could not support feeding the entire population.
In the same way that occurred in the first Greek diaspora, that is, the foundation of several colonies, in the Homeric period this factor is also propelled with the dispersion of different peoples, giving rise to important city-states such as Byzantium, Marseille, Naples, Syracuse, among others.
In addition, the decline of the genos made possible a social and economic fragmentation, taking into account the proximity to the heads of these organizations, which eventually led to a new social structure divided into:eupatrids (high-born), georgols (farmers) and thetas. (marginal).
Therefore, social classes and private property appear in Ancient Greece, putting an end to the Homeric period and beginning the Archaic period.