According to legend, King Minos made Crete a center of commerce in the eastern Mediterranean and received tribute from cities such as Athens as a sign of his hegemony. Although it is known that from around 3500 BCE to 1100 BCE Crete was indeed wealthy and powerful, no archaeological evidence has been found to prove the existence of a historical Cretan ruler named Minos. Nevertheless, when British archaeologist Arthur Evans (1851—1941) first excavated the palace of Knossos, he named the ancient Cretan civilization thus uncovered “Minoan” in honor of the mythical king.
Minoan Art
Minoan art of the Bronze Age (which started around 3000 BCE) reveals a culture that was rich in the pleasures of the senses. The severe, abstract art of Neolithic Crete gave way about 2400-2300 BCE to curves, spirals, and meanders. These designs are reminiscent of the labyrinth at Knossos. Some Cretan artistic conventions were clearly borrowed from the culture of Egypt. Cretan figures, however, suggest the idea of a subject, such as the cat, while Egyptian figures capture the details. The paintings of bulls and bull dancers are the most evocative works of Minoan art. They reflect a fascination with the bull as a figure of fertility and power, combining both feminine and masculine divine powers. In the legends of Minos, the labyrinth and the bull are recurrent themes. Minos thus becomes the representative and champion of an ancient culture that was threatened by the rise of the Greeks and their maritime empire.
Above: This illustration by French artist Gustave Dore (1832—1883) shows Minos (foreground) judging souls in the underworld.
On the walls of the palace of Knossos there are frescoes depicting festivals, domestic parties, and nature scenes. It appears that the Minoans, like the ancient Etruscans of Italy, lived in a hedonistic society in which pleasure and freedom were of great importance. Although little is known of the Minoan social structure, it is thought that men and women had similar rights, and that wives were not mere subjects of their husbands. By 1500 BCE, Greek-speaking Mycenaeans began to settle the island, and Minoan culture was adapted and later replaced.
World History
