The Greek Dark Ages: How Homer Saved Civilization

The History of Greece: Philosophy, Empire, and Endless Reinvention — Fexingo History · Sep 24, 2026 · 6m · transcript

Between the collapse of the Mycenaean palaces around 1200 BCE and the emergence of Archaic Greece, there was a profound silence. This episode explores the Greek Dark Ages, a period often misunderstood as mere barbarism. We trace how the destruction of Linear B led to the loss of literacy and how oral tradition preserved the memory of heroes like Achilles and Agamemnon through the works attributed to Homer. Lucas and Luna examine the archaeological evidence from sites like Lefkandi and Eleusis, revealing that this era was not empty but transformative. We discuss the invention of the alphabet…