The Minoans

The Minotaur

Ancient GreeceAlyssa CellaPeriod 6

The Minoans are the oldest of the Ancient Greeks. They inhabited the island of Crete. King Minos was the leader of their people. The Minoans built palaces with large courts and staircases. They also had drainage systems and religious crypts. Evidence shows that the Minoans believed in living in harmony with the natural world. They held ritual ceremonies in caves and in the mountains, which served as their sancutuaries. The Minoans worshipped nature and were polytheistic. They were skilled in metal working and jewelry making, which was used to trade around the Mediterranean Sea. They used a lot of gold, copper, and bronze. The Myceneans were influenced by the Minoans with their bronze creations. Written scripts of the Minoans were found to be similar to egyptian hieroglyphs. The civilization eventually was wiped out by a tsunami.

The Minotaur lived in the labyrinth and ate teenagers. He was half man and half bull. After nine years past, seven girls and seven boys were sent to the Minotaur as his snack. It wasn't until Prince Theseus killed the Minotaur and saved the teens that this horrible tradition ended.

Worshipped GoddessThe Minoan Snake Goddess wears an open bodice and a tight skirt, and holds a snake in each hand. She is thought to represent fertility and the snakes in her hands are a symbol of renewal of life, since snakes shed their skin.

The Palace of Knossos was elegant and elaborate with wall paintings. It is located on the island of Crete. The palace covers more than 150,000 feet! It was designed by an architect named Dedalos. Dedalos was a great inventor and very famous at the time. When designing the palace, he made it so complex that no one would be able to find the exit. King Minos didn;t want anyone to find out about the designs, so he kept Dedalos as a prisoner inside.

King Minos King Minos lead the Minoans. He lived in the Palace of Knossos. He also had a beast called a Minotaur, who lived in the labyrinth of the palace. He was the son of Zeus and Europa. He married Pasiphae and they had many children. He conquered land the city of Megara on his way to revenge his son. After he died in Sicily, he became a judge in the underworld.

The Trojan War began when Trojan Princes kidnapped Helen from Athens because she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world (Helen of Troy). The war was between Athens and Troy. It also took place in Troy and lasted for ten years. A draw was finally called and the Greeks tricked the Trojans with a wooden horse after they were drunk. After the win, Helen was finally brought home to Athens.

The OlympicsThe Olympics first began in 776 BCE. The purpose was to honor Zeus and other gods. It was held every four years at Mt. Olympus's base. Unlike nowadays, athletes cheated a lot. Only men participated and had to be naked. When the olympics first originated, there were only five events and only one winner. The winner was presented a wreath of olive branches.

Heinrich Schliemann was German archaeologist who found Troy. He was the son of a poor pastor. He travelled all around the world, particularly in Greece in search of Homeric Troy. He found much evidence suggesting that the Trojan War was real, but never found the legendary Trojan Horse.

Athens symbolizes freedom, democracy, and art. It is named after the goddess, Athena. She is the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. The Greeks were polytheistic, so Athena is only one of the gods they worshipped.

The Palace of Knossos

The Minoans

Today in Greece, people celebrate "name day" to honor the saint that has their name instead of their own birthday! This originated from the Christian calendar of saints.