EVERDAY LIFE
PALACES
Evidence that palaces contained rooms for official documents, shrines, potteries, oil press
rooms, armouries, and storerooms for food
MEGARON
o Used for feasts and poetry recitals
o Usually contained one or more courtyards
o The hearth was the most important feature
Used for religious purposes and cooking
A hole in the roof would have allowed smoke to escape
Around it was four columns which supported the roof
o Where the king’s throne would have been
o Often the highest part of the city
HUNTING
Many of the animals the Greeks liked to hunt lived on mountainous terrain
A fresco from Tiryns shows the use of dogs in hunting
Hunting was essential if people were to eat meat as most of Greece was unsuitable for
farmland, and any flat land was used for growing crops
LION HUNT DAGGER
o Ornamental object
o The hunting of a lion was the greatest challenge a hunter could face
o One hunter has a bow and arrow, the others have long spears
Two cups from Vapheio show the capture of bulls
A signet ring from Grave Circle A shows a miniature scene of a hunter and driver on a
chariot, armed with a bow and chasing deer
ARMOUR AND WEAPONS
Spears were common, consisting of a wooden handle into which a bronze spearhead was
fitted
o Became shorter and could have been thrown
SHIELDS
o Homer describes a tower shield used by Ajax
o Huge figure of eight and tower shields at the beginning of the period, as shown on
the Lion Hunt Dagger
o Became smaller
HELMETS
PALACES
Evidence that palaces contained rooms for official documents, shrines, potteries, oil press
rooms, armouries, and storerooms for food
MEGARON
o Used for feasts and poetry recitals
o Usually contained one or more courtyards
o The hearth was the most important feature
Used for religious purposes and cooking
A hole in the roof would have allowed smoke to escape
Around it was four columns which supported the roof
o Where the king’s throne would have been
o Often the highest part of the city
HUNTING
Many of the animals the Greeks liked to hunt lived on mountainous terrain
A fresco from Tiryns shows the use of dogs in hunting
Hunting was essential if people were to eat meat as most of Greece was unsuitable for
farmland, and any flat land was used for growing crops
LION HUNT DAGGER
o Ornamental object
o The hunting of a lion was the greatest challenge a hunter could face
o One hunter has a bow and arrow, the others have long spears
Two cups from Vapheio show the capture of bulls
A signet ring from Grave Circle A shows a miniature scene of a hunter and driver on a
chariot, armed with a bow and chasing deer
ARMOUR AND WEAPONS
Spears were common, consisting of a wooden handle into which a bronze spearhead was
fitted
o Became shorter and could have been thrown
SHIELDS
o Homer describes a tower shield used by Ajax
o Huge figure of eight and tower shields at the beginning of the period, as shown on
the Lion Hunt Dagger
o Became smaller
HELMETS
