During the Bronze Age, the Minoan civilization; located on the cultural bridge of the island of Crete, it greatly influenced the Aegean islands and mainland Greece (75). Although not Greek, the Minoans kept detailed records in Greek form. These peoples were governed by a King who was supported by a bureaucracy and centered on a palace (75). This form of organization was typical of many ancient civilizations, but changed enormously after this era (75). After the Minoans the Mycenaeans arose and ruled similarly to the Minoans. The Mycenaeans; although also non-Greek, he settled in mainland Greece and was ruled by a king who held royal dominion, had the ability to appoint officials and command servants among other responsibilities (77). After the fall of the Mycenaean empire, many Greek peoples spread eastward, ending trade with ancient civilizations, and inland into parts of Greece (78). This period led Greek peoples to move into smaller communities with little communication between them (78). The initial organization of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations was the closest to unification that Greek history allowed until the arrival of the Macedonians. However, these successful civilizations were not Greek, but were located in what became Greece and simply demonstrated a slight similarity in language. After the fall of the Mycenaean civilization, the Greeks entered, albeit disorganized and independent. The appearance of the polis united the Greek-speaking people, although its initial use was not for such. The Greek poleis was a community of relatives who worshiped the gods in ceremonies and formed republics dominated by the nobility through its councils of nobles and finally a distinct monarchy (80-81). These poleis allowed the social life of the Greeks to grow and expand their territories enormously (81-82). This expansion provided the Greeks with a cultural identity and gave men outside the nobility the opportunity to become wealthy (82). This new class, however, also led to conflicts and tyranny arose (82). The tyrants contributed more as they eliminated the presence of the aristocracy, leaving each citizen to demonstrate their value by serving the polis (84). During this period, tyrants ruled their individual city-states and allied themselves with other allies to prevent war (84). After the end of the Dark Ages, polytheism became a central religion connecting the Greek peoples (85). During this era, the polis was still evident although it differed greatly between different states (87). Sparta and Athens, although powerful and influential Greek states were among these poleis and although perhaps they were, the states most likely to unite Greece were both unsuitable.