The Mysterious Minoans Chapter 8, Section 1.1 Main Idea: The Minoans established the earliest civilization in ancient Greece.
Vocab:
Myth: an old story told to explain an event or to justify beliefs and actions
Labyrinth: a maze
Raw materials: substances from which other products are made
Polytheism: the belief in many gods and/or goddesses
Minotaur: a mythical creature that is half man, half bull
Minoan Civilization
Greek civilization started on the island of Crete
- Farmers settled around 7000 B.C. and their agriculture flourished
- The more sophisticated Minoan civilization emerged by 2000 B.C. - Centered on cities governed from magnificent royal palaces - Created written records that historians are unable to figure out - What we know about them is from archeology and writings by later Greek historians - Many myths were created about them Myth of Minos
- A mythical Cretan (person of Crete) king named Minos - Son of Zeus and Europa - Had a labyrinth built beneath his palace - A minotaur lived there that was offered human sacrifices
**Evidence does confirm a powerful Minoan king built a maze like palace and the Minoans did worship bulls and performed sacrifices, but no evidence of a minotaur** Cities & Culture
Minoans grew wealthy through trade across the Mediterranean and Aegean seas
- They were expert sailors - They traded items such as olive oil, wine, cloth, pottery, and metalwork to places such as mainland Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, and Spain - In return, they received raw materials such as tin, gold, pearls, and ivory - As they traded and traveled, they also spread their culture, ideas, and beliefs
They also had a very strong navy which is why they didn’t build city walls to keep out invasions
The Palace at Knossos
The palace at Knossos (pronounced NAW-suhss) was the center of the Minoan culture, religion, and economy
- More like a city than an actual palace; home to about 20,000 people - Central courtyard for ceremonies, hundreds of rooms, advanced plumbing - Provided workspace for artisans (experts at a craft) - Storerooms for surplus crops such as grain
Minoans led a relatively prosperous life
Religion was polytheistic and forms of worship included bull-leaping, boxing, wrestling, dancing, and sacrifices
Ruins of Knossos The Minoans Decline
Around 1500 B.C. the Minoan civilization sharply declined and palaces fell into ruin
Historians aren’t exactly sure why this occurred, but they have their ideas
- A crippling natural disaster (earthquake, tidal wave, volcanic eruption) - Invasion from mainland Greece - A combination of both? Review Questions
1. What were some of the traits of the earliest Greek civilization the Minoans?
2. What does the great palace at Knossos reveal about the Minoan civilization?
3. How did trade help the Minoans develop wealth?
4. What do you think helps make a civilization like the Minoans successful?