Mycenaean pantheon

Abstract

 The Mycenaean pantheon of Bronze Age which is restored from Linear B  texts greatly differs from the later hierarchy of gods that is present in the works of Homer and Hesiod. Besides the names of Olympian gods known to us, deities which are considered to be of Pre-Greek origin and are not familiar to the Ancient tradition can be found in the archives of Thebes, Mycenae, Pylos, and Knossos. Consequently, it can be thought that already in the Mycenaean period the Greeks had established a particular system of hierarchy of gods, which however was yet far away from strict systemization. Beliefs of Mycenaean Greeks about the creation of the universe, gods and their origins must have had a crucial influence on the development of tradition of Greek theogony. However, it seems that these beliefs can be traced back to pre-Greek Aegean tradition, which supposedly was under Mediterranean influence.