Date of Award
Spring 5-1-2022
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Tonya Stremlau
Second Advisor
Dr. Harrell
Abstract
The Mycenaean civilization (1650 BCE-1200 BCE) was the first advanced Greek civilization with many features that characterized Classical Greece such as palace states, art, a writing system, intercultural contact, and more. The focus of this capstone project is the ancient Mycenaean civilization, particularly capturing both the build up to and the actual rise of the Greek Early Iron Age (1200 BCE-800 BCE) period, or the Greek Dark Ages. This project takes the form of a historical fiction novel which seeks to offer a possible explanation for how the collapse came to be, using archaeological evidence in partnership with creative writing. The archaeological evidence for this period of transition is clear in that the Mycenaean palaces collapsed and ceased being used, but the reasons for the collapse are unclear and still a point of controversy for archaeologists. My historical fiction novel takes place around 1200 B.C., right before the collapse would have occurred. Following an array of characters from the king himself to a peasant commoner, my novel offers a story of how the Mycenaeans began to collapse. The inspiration for this novel came from my passions for ancient history and insatiable curiosity to find the answers to unknown questions. The methodology used for the creation of this novel involved analysis of both archaeological research and historical Greek cultural influences. The speculations made by archaeologists from the material remnants of ancient Mycenaean Greece combined with ancient Greek literature - some literature even based during the Mycenaean civilization itself, such as Homer’s works - help provide a possible picture of the Mycenaean world as it neared the end of its time. Lovers of historical fiction, Greek mythology, and ancient history will be attracted to this novel as it attempts to answer a three-thousand year old mystery.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Brenna, "Pride Before the Fall: A Historical Fiction Novel" (2022). Undergraduate University Honors Capstones. 81.
https://ida.gallaudet.edu/honors_capstones/81
