Michael Straw

Mycenaean Warfare
Mycenaean warfare is a subject that has many questions to be answered due to a lack of
sufficient information, however with the information we have as of today we can understand
many things about their warfare. Some of the characteristics that can be looked at could be the
types of armor the Mycenaeans used in battle, or perhaps some of the weapons that were used.
The fact that they rose to power after the Minoan civilization fell suggests that the Mycenaeans
over powered the Minoans with a military that researchers have yet to find. Finally, the tools
that the Mycenaeans used during battle and before battle suggest that they were organized and
not simply different armies fighting against each other.
There used to be a general idea of what the Mycenaeans wore to battle or to guard
strategic areas. The idea was that they used tight fabrics, leather, and other heavy linens to
protect themselves, these heavy linens would be able to protect against mortal wounds and small
objects (Chadwick [Page 160]). However, there has been a new armor that has been discovered
that contradicts the belief that the Mycenaeans only used cloth for protection. A metal armor,
made of heavy bronze with ridges and a bronze helmet has been found. However scientists still
believe that cloth was the main defense due to the fact that metal armor would have been
difficult to maneuver in and would have been extremely uncomfortable to stay in for long
periods of time. Though the metal armor would not have been worn for long periods of time, the
metal helmets have been depicted in many frescos with the heavy linens worn on the warriors,
therefore scientists can assume in these frescos that helmets and heavy linens were the main
defense. Finally the last thing a solider would use to defend themself would be a shield, the most
common of these shields would be ivory shields and could be used to protect against arrows,
daggers, or blades.
Michael Straw
The weapons that were used could also be depicted from ancient frescos. The weapons
of choice were mainly spears, daggers, and small swords, the spears would probably be like the
javelins of today. Another weapon that has been up for debate is the chariot, though it was a
mode of transportation it could not be considered a weapon that the Mycenaeans used due to the
fact that the terrain that the Mycenaeans were known to have claimed, that chariots would have
had to fight on was just not suitable for them. Instead the chariots would have likely been used
to transfer the leader or general into the battle to show prestige or for warriors to easily find the
commander to receive orders (Chadwick [Page 16]). However there have been cases where
hundreds of chariots were recorded in Knossos and Pylos. Finally, the Mycenaeans also used
bow and arrows as a choice of weapons, the men who wielded these weapons, the archery, were
rarely used on the battlefield.
The Minoan civilization fell shortly after the Mycenaean civilization rose to power, and it
is believed that the Mycenaeans wiped out the Minoan population. Scientists know this because
the ancient city of Knossos, which is located in Crete and was Minoan territory has been an area
where Mycenaean artifacts have been found. With the assumption that the Mycenaeans being
the culprit and destroying the Minoan civilization it reveals an entirely unknown part of the
Mycenaean military, their navy. There are no artifacts or ships that have been found that have
proven that the Mycenaeans had any ships, but Minoan records stated that they were attacked by
men with ships and armies, therefore if it was the Mycenaeans they had to have a navy (Wardle
and Wardle [Page 73]).. There is more evidence to the idea of a navy, since a tablet was
recovered from one of the palaces and was translated from Linear B into 600 rowers, which
would mean several rowers for many ships.
Michael Straw
The Mycenaeans also created fortresses to protect their palaces from attacks, attacks
from whom remain a mystery. These fortresses were used to prevent sieges of palaces, and it has
been depicted in art that these sieges did take place. The fortresses would surround not only the
palaces, but they would also surround critical resources in order to defy an opposing army, such
as water, food, and other valuable resources. Large armies would also stay to protect these
fortresses while a city/kingdom was taking aggressive actions or policies to siege and steal from
other cities. A siege in the city Mycenae was likely its downfall, in 1200 BC the palace and
several of the buildings were leveled to the ground, which alludes to the fact that whoever ended
the Mycenaean rule had to have a very large army and navy (Wardle and Wardle [Page 18])..
There are still many questions to ask about Mycenaean warfare, such as which power
actually conquered and destroyed the Mycenaean civilization? Some say raiders, other say
invaders from Asia-minor or Egypt, some even say earthquakes brought about the demise of the
Mycenaean civilization. Though the Mycenaean army seems to have been powerful enough to
take down Egypt, as one Egyptian tribe described that a people similar to the Mycenaeans, most
likely them, attacked them. The question may never be answered though who could have
brought about the destruction of the powerful Mycenaean machine.
Mycenaean warfare is a subject that needs to be researched more. There are many holes
in the subject that have yet to even be looked at. The idea of a navy is there, now researches
need to find one, and maybe the differences between heavy linens and metal armor will be
kinked out in a few years. Mycenaean warfare may be unlocked by a secret from a Minoan
civilization someday, who knows? Either way, the Mycenaeans had a powerful military that
was lasted for centuries.

Michael Straw
Works Cited
Chadwick, John. The Mycenaean World. London: Cambridge University Press, 1976. Print.
Styrenius, Carl Gustaf. SubMycenaean Studies. Sweden: Svenska Instituet, 1967. Print.
Wardle, Diana, and K.A. Wardle. Cities of Legend. Ed. John H. Betts. Berkshire: Arrowhead
Books, 1997. Print.

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