mahendra’s greece

© mahendra myshkin 2025

In October 2020, a ruptured muscle fibre in my left thigh left me recovering. I searched for a place that was close enough to avoid flying long-distance to Asia or America during the Covid days, but also combined abundant natural beauty–spectacular mountains and delightful beaches—with a rich cultural heritage. I decided to go to Greece to the area of Mt Olympus and to the monasteries of Meteora. A lot of memories about stories of the ancient Greek culture about which I had learned in school popped up in my mind. I wanted to see more of the Greek culture and nature.

The following spring, I returned to Greece for six weeks, this time to the southern part of the Greek mainland, the Peloponnese peninsula. I started to explore the nearby Mani peninsula and some archeological sites in the vicinity.  During the following years I continued my studies of Greek’s nature and history. I found that five thousand years of human history are preserved here in ancient buildings, artefacts, texts, and oral tradition—in a way that nowhere else, to me, quite matches.

They resulted in an extensive documentation of  places which I sorted into a thematic listing and a timeline for an easier overview. The cumulative impressions of the individual locations gradually form a larger picture—like slowly assembling a huge puzzle.

thematic listing of places

ancient greece

christian

ottoman

nature

neda

timeline

An introduction to Greece history from the Minoan times onwards and an overview of my documentations within a time frame.

  • 3100 – 1100 BCE

     

    Minoan civilization

    A Bronze Age culture on the island of Crete, generally regarded as the first civilization in Europe with urban settlements. Often characterized by an absence of fortifications, the use of the Linear A script, and various simple styles of pottery. Origin of Greek mythology. Renowned for its palace complexes, such as Knossos.

  • 1750 – 1050 BCE

     

    Mycenean civilization

    Construction of fortified settlements like Mycene, Pylos and Tiryns – organized as city states. Cyclopean masonry. Geometric pottery. Linear B script. Shrines and cult centers.
    Examples: Mycenae, Pylos (Nestor’s palace), Nemea, Acropolis

  • Around 1150 BCE

     

    Bronze Age collapse

    Triggered by environmental change, mass migration, and destruction of cities through natural disasters or invasions. Major sites like Mycenae, Tiryns, Thebes, and Pylos were abandoned. Theories suggest that invasions by the Sea Peoples, drought, and internal conflicts contributed to the collapse. Further information from the World History Encyclopedia: The Bronze Age Collapse

  • 1100 – 800 BCE

     

    Greek Dark Age (Iron Age)

    A period of widespread famine and depopulation. No large cities, no writing system, and a decline in interregional trade. Simple pottery styles replaced earlier elaborate designs. The oral tradition, including Homeric epics, helped preserve Greek cultural heritage during this era. Not much archeological evidence.

  • 800 – 490 BCE

     

    Archaic Greece

    Marked by the expansion of Greek culture through settlements across the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. Development of the polis (city-state), the Greek alphabet, and the works of Homer. Refinements in pottery decoration emerged. Key states such as Athens, Corinth, and Sparta were established in the 8th century BCE.
    Examples: Corinth, Olympia, Eleusis, Athens, Acropolis

  • 490 – 323 BCE

     

  • 323 – 146 BCE

     

    Hellenistic period

    Following the conquests of Alexander the Great and the emergence of the Diadochi states, Greek culture expanded and blended with Persian, Egyptian, and Indian influences. New centers of learning and culture emerged, such as Alexandria in Egypt and Pergamon in Asia Minor.
    Examples: Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Eleusis

  • 146 BCE – 324 CE

     

    Roman Greece

    In the 2nd century BCE, Rome conquered Greece, incorporating it into its empire. Greek culture heavily influenced Roman art, philosophy, and politics. From around 50 CE, Christian missionaries like St Paul began spreading the word of Jesus. By the 4th century, when Christianity became the official state religion of the Roman empire, the traditional Greek religion was systematically suppressed. When the Roman Empire was divided into West and East Rome, Greece became part of the Eastern (Byzantine) empire.
    Examples: Ephesus, Messene, Eleusis, Corinth

  • 324 – 1453 CE

     

  • 480 - 700 CE

     

    Invasions from the North

    Greece faced invasions by various non-Christian tribes, including the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and Slavs. These groups conquered large parts of the Greek mainland but never established full control over the region.

  • 1204 – 1797 CE

     

    Frankish and Venetian influence

    Following the Crusades, Franks, Venetians, Byzantines, and Ottomans struggled for control over Greece. Notable fortresses and strongholds were constructed during this time.
    Example: Methoni, Mystras, Acrocorinth, Palamidi, Monemvasia

  • 1453 – 1821 CE

     

    Ottoman Greece

    Greece fell under Ottoman rule. Many members of the Orthodox Church retreated to the mountains to preserve their traditions. Unlike in Spain or Turkey, the Muslim rulers did not construct major works of Islamic art or architecture in Greece. This was due to strong Orthodox resistance, Greece’s relatively small urban centers, and the destruction of Ottoman structures during the Greek War of Independence.
    Example: Palamidi, Meteora , Methoni, Monemvasia

  • Since 1821

     

    Modern Greece

    The Greek War of Independence (1821–1830) led to the establishment of the modern Greek state in 1833. Greece continued to develop politically, culturally, and economically into the present day.