By 1100 B.C., the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures collapsed, and around the 8th century B.C., a smattering of independent city-states, including Athens, Sparta and Thebes, began to dominate the Greek world.
By 1100 B.C., the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures collapsed, and around the 8th century B.C., a smattering of independent city-states, including Athens, Sparta and Thebes, began to dominate the Greek world. Though these city-states possessed distinct cultures, they shared a language, religion and interest in innovation.