Final answer:
Scholars divide the history of Aegean before Roman conquest into four periods: Cycladic, Minoan, Mycenaean, and Hellenistic. Significant cultural developments and historical events mark each era, with the latter Classical periods preceding the Hellenistic era which concluded with Roman hegemony.
Step-by-step explanation:
Historians and scholars divide the history of the Aegean before its conquest by the Romans into four major periods: the Cycladic, Minoan, Mycenaean, and the Hellenistic periods. These periods represent distinct phases with specific cultural developments and historical events. The timeline begins with the early Cycladic period, moves towards the flourishing Minoan civilization centered on Crete, continues through the power of the Mycenaean civilization on mainland Greece, and concludes with the expansive Hellenistic period which ended with Greek defeat at the Battle of Actium and the subsequent Roman conquest.
The Geometric and Orientalizing Periods followed the Mycenaean civilization and preceded the Classical period. The Geometric period saw the emergence of a new culture on the Greek mainland, characterized by geometric design in art and the adoption of the Phoenician alphabet. Lastly, the Classical period, which includes the Early, High, and Late Classical periods, was a time of prosperity for Greece, particularly for Athens, but ended with internal strife and wars, leading to the Hellenistic era.