The Greeks Greek civilization played a major role in the ancient world, and Greek culture was a primary influence on the world into which Jesus was born and in which the New Testament was written. Mycenaean Civilization (1450–1200 BC) The Mycenaeans lived during the “heroic age” that Greeks later immortalized in the epics of Homer. Their civilization was centered at Mycenae, about thirty miles south of the site of Corinth. The Mycenaeans traded extensively and were successful in war. The Greek gods and myths familiar from later literature have their roots in Mycenaean Greece. Mycenaean documents were written in Linear B, a syllabic script. Mycenaean civilization ended violently around 1200 BC at the hands of Dorian Greek invaders. The several hundred years which followed have been called the “Greek Dark Ages”—Linear B usage ceased, and there are no written records. Archaic Age, City-States (850–546 BC) Eventually Greek towns and villages began organizing into city-states that controlled entire areas. This era also saw a rise of cooperation and a shared sense of identity among the Greeks; for example, the first Olympic games were held in 776 BC. As trade with th...