The Minoan civilization of Crete - ancient crete
The Minoan civilization of Crete
The Minoan civilization of Crete - an island
south of Greece-was the first civilization
in Europe.
Minoan civilization began began about 3000
BC, reached its height from 2200 to 1450
BC, then mysteriously vanished- perhaps
after the volcano on the nearby island of
Santorini erupted.
The name Minoan comes from the Greek
legend of King Minos. Minos was the son of
Europa, the princess seduced by the god
Zeus in the shape of a bull.
Greek stories tell how Minos built a
labyrinth (maze) in which he kept the Minotaur,
a monster with's body and a bull's head.
Catching a bull by the horns and leaping
over it (bull-leaping) was an important
Minoan religious rite.
Experts now think Minos was a title, so
every Cretan king was called Minos.
The Minoans were great seafarers and traded
all over the eastern Mediterranean.
At the center of each Minon town was a
place, such as those found at Knossos,
Zakro, Phaestos and Mallia.
The largest Minoan place is at Knossos. It
covered 20,000 square meters and housed
over 30,000 people.
The walls of the palace are decorated with
frescoes (paintings), which reveal a great
deal about the Minoans.
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