The Dorians

In the mountains in northern Greece lived tribal people called the Dorians. They lived in villages ruled by warrior chiefs. There hunting provided more food then farming. The usually went to sea to attack neighbors rather than trade. The Mycenaean’s and the Dorians shared Hellas for 500 years. Also the Mycenaean’s were not interested in the poor Dorians because they had no riches to steal. The life of the Dorians was different to the Mycenaean’s or the Minoans. The Dorian had no interest in writing the preferred to speak simple Greek. In the southern cities they thought the Dorians were useless, that was a mistake. The Dorians became experts in metal, by 1200 B.C.E. the Dorians made weapons from new metal (iron.) It was twice as hard a bronze and it was sharper and lighter. The iron spear would go right through bronze. Copper used to make the bronze and it was plentiful, that’s why the Mycenaean’s used it to make weapons. That’s how the Dorians became stronger and they conquered most of Hellas.