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xxi Chronology c. 3000–c. 1100 BCE Minoan civilization flourishes on Crete and other islands of the south Aegean Sea c. 3000–c. 1000 BCE Bronze Age in Greece and the Ancient Near East c. 1700–1100 BCE Mycenaean civilization, the earliest form of Greek culture, flourishes on mainland Greece and across the Aegean c. 1184 BCE Eratosthenes’ date for the legendary “Fall of Troy” c. 1100–c. 800 BCE Greek culture enters a “Dark Age,” leaving behind little evidence in the archaeological record c. 1100–c. 600 BCE Ancient Greeks spread out from the Greek mainland and islands of the Aegean to establish colonies in Anatolia, along the coasts of the Black Sea, on Sicily and in southern Italy c. 800–490 BCE Archaic Period in Greek history 776 BCE Greek tradition places the founding of the Olympic Games in this year c. 750 BCE The Greeks develop their alphabet from Phoenician/Uga- ritic models c. 750–c. 700 BCE The poetry of Homer and Hesiod take their final forms c. 657 BCE Cypselus seizes power in Corinth as tyrant c. 650–c. 450 BCE Era of lyric poetry, featuring Archilochus, Simonides, Tyr- taeus, Alcman, Alcaeus, Sappho, Theognis, Solon, Pindar, Bacchylides, and others c. 600 BCE Lydians begin the minting of coinage c. 600–c. 450 BCE Black Figure pottery prevalent in the Greek world c. 594–c. 570 BCE Era of Solon’s reforms at Athens