Minoans Flashcards
What is considered the first Greek civilization?
The Minoans
What is the name of the age the Minoans inhabited?
Bronze Age
The famous Minoan king
King Minos
When did Crete become inhabited?
7000 BC
When were several grand palaces built on Crete?
Between 1900 BC and 1700 BC
What was the most important (according to legend) of the Crete palaces?
Knossos
Where did the minotaur come from (according to legend)?
King Minos’ wife bore the minotaur
What is the legend of the minotaur?
It was shut up in a labyrinth and fed every ninth year by sacrificial victims taken from Athens
Was King Minos real?
Real palace, wall paintings, and labyrinth add to the legend. He could have been a priest king but there is no real evidence of his existence
What was important to the MInoans?
Religion and ritual. They built a large number of sanctuaries around the Cretan countryside
What do we know about their economics?
Known for their ceramics and jewelry which they traded with Egypt and Anatolia
What was their language?
Linear A–probably used for administrative records
What happened in 1628 BC?
Volcanic eruption on the nearby island of Thera, which covered Knossos in ash and damaged the palace and villas
When did the Minoan civilization come to an end?
1500 BC. They were invaded by the Myceneans from mainland Greece
