Egyptian and Minoan civilization. Minoan civilization. Minoans in ancient Greek myths

Minoan civilization- relating to the Aegean civilization of the Bronze Age of the island of Crete (2700-1400 BC). The main centers of culture and civilization were the so-called palaces - complex economic and political complexes, the largest of which existed in Knossos, Phaistos, Zakros and Tylissa.

Fragments of the Knossos Palace

The culture is named after the mythical king of Crete Minos, the owner of the labyrinth built, according to legend, by Daedalus.

The Minoans conducted active maritime trade (the island was located at the intersection of the main sea trade routes) and maintained friendly relations with Ancient Egypt. None of the palaces had fortifications: obviously, the inhabitants of the island felt completely safe.

Minoan civilization. Ancient Crete and its inhabitants

During the Middle Minoan period, the influence of the culture spread to mainland Greece, and during the same period the Cycladic culture was assimilated by the Minoans. The invasion of Crete by the Achaean Greeks did not lead to the decline of culture, but to a new stage in its development - the emergence of a mixed Mycenaean culture, the influence of which spread to mainland Greece, Crete, and the islands Aegean Sea and a number of territories in the eastern Mediterranean. The native Cretans continued to play at least an important cultural role in Mycenaean Greece. After the Dorian invasion, the Minoan culture completely disappeared, and the indigenous population of Crete was assimilated by the Greeks no later than the 4th-3rd centuries. BC e.

Heritage of ancient civilizations. Minoan culture

Early period of study

At the beginning of the 19th century historical information about Minoan Crete collected and analyzed by Robert Pashley. Since Crete belonged to Turkey in those years, he did not have the opportunity to conduct excavations, but he managed to establish the exact location of the city of Kydonia.

The first excavations of the Knossos Palace began in 1878 by the Cretan collector of antiquities Minos Kalokerinos, but the excavations were interrupted by the Turkish government. G. Schliemann, having heard about the antiquities of the island, also wanted to conduct excavations there, but after a scandal with the illegal export of gold treasures from Turkey, the Ottoman authorities, who were in charge of Crete at that time, refused him.

The official date of the discovery of the culture is considered to be March 16, 1900, when the English archaeologist Arthur Evans began excavating the Knossos Palace.

In 1900-1920 intensive excavations of Crete were carried out, on the materials of which long time historians' ideas about the Minoan civilization were based. The excavations were led by Federico Halberr, Luigi Pernier, John Pendlebury and a number of other archaeologists.

After deciphering the Cretan script

A tablet with an inscription in Cypriot-Minoan script.

A significant breakthrough in the study of Minoan civilization occurred after the 1950s. M. Ventris, with the participation of J. Chadwick, deciphered the later version of the Cretan script - Linear B. As a result, information was obtained about the later period of the Minoan civilization - the Mycenaean civilization, in which the Achaean Greeks played a dominant role, but the cultural role of the Minoans was still strong.

To this day, the question of when the Achaeans and Pelasgians took a dominant position in the Minoan civilization remains controversial; both legendary tradition and archaeological evidence indicate that this happened in Crete, before the center of power moved to Mycenae. W. Ridgway disputed the correctness of the term “Minoan civilization” created by Evans, pointing out that the legendary king Minos was not a “Minoan”, but an alien with mainland Greece; Ridgway's point of view also has modern supporters.

Chronology

The chronology of the Minoan civilization was proposed by A. Evans at the beginning of the 20th century, who divided Minoan history into the early, middle and late Minoan periods (the latter basically coincides with the existence of the Mycenaean civilization). An alternative division of Minoan history into palace periods was proposed by the Greek archaeologist N. Plato.

Preminoan period of Crete

There are no traces of people in Crete until the Neolithic. Already in the early Neolithic period, rock-cut dwellings appeared on Crete, later used as tombs. Especially many of these rock dwellings have been preserved near the city of Matala.

Caves on Matala Beach

Anatolian origins of Minoan culture

Early Minoan culture is not a direct descendant of the Neolithic culture of Crete, but was introduced from the east through Anatolia. Analogues in Mesopotamia have early Minoan clothing, architecture, carved seals, cult images, and many other features of Minoan culture.

The cult images of the bull and the “oranta” goddess (with raised hands) characteristic of the Minoan culture are found in the east of Anatolia already in the ceramic Neolithic era. In the 4th millennium BC. e. In Arslantepe, cylinder seals appeared, later widespread among the Minoans, and in the 3rd millennium BC. e. A palace is being built in Beyjesultan, the architectural features of which are reminiscent of later Minoan palaces.

Cylinder seal from Arslantepe

According to one hypothesis, the bearers of the Minoan culture are descendants of the Halaf culture, which continued the traditions of the Neolithic proto-cities of Anatolia, which, under the pressure of the ancestors of the Sumerians (Ubaid culture), migrated to the West and later moved to Crete. Such characteristic elements of Minoan culture as the cult labrys hatchet or soapstone seals were inherited from the Halaf culture.

Labrys as a symbol of Minoan culture

Beyond the scope of this hypothesis, the question remains about the emergence of seafaring traditions among the Minoans, which were absent in the Halaf culture. The influence of the neighboring Halaf culture of Fikirtepe (the cult of the “Oranta” goddess, ornament, design of residential buildings) can also be traced.

Influence of mainland Greece (Pelasgians)

On the other hand, Minoan culture was influenced by the culture of mainland Greece (“Pelasgians”). Homer mentions the Pelasgians as a people who inhabited Crete along with the Cretans themselves. The ornaments of Minoan vase painting are much more similar to the ornaments of the ceramics of mainland Greece (in particular, the Vinca culture) than with the rather poor ornamentation of the Ubaid culture.

"Pythos with medallions" in the Knossos Palace. Named for their convex disks, they belong to the Middle Minoan III or Late Minoan IA period. (photo Harrieta171)

Moreover, in the titles settlements ancient Crete there are suffixes characteristic of mainland Greece -ss-, -nth-, etc.

Cultural connections

Fresco of the Palace of Knossos Prince with lilies, dated around 1550 BC. e.

In the ancient period (late 3rd millennium BC), the Minoans apparently maintained contact with the Ocieri culture in Sardinia. The ancient tradition considered the inhabitants of Sardinia to be from Crete, which, however, gives historians little information, since Sardinia was replaced by several cultures of different origins.

According to Homer, in addition to the Minoans themselves (autochthonous Cretans, Eteocritans), Pelasgians also lived on Crete (according to Herodotus and others, who arrived from Asia Minor or Greece), as well as the Kidones (a small people, possibly related to the Minoans - from them the name comes city of Cydonia). Back in the first half of the 20th century. many famous researchers of Crete, despite such a clear indication, confused the Pelasgians with the Cretans themselves. Later, the Achaeans (Greeks) entered the island.

The identity of the Minoan (Eteocritan) language has not been established. Partial decipherment of the Cretan script made it possible to identify some morphological indicators (the language, apparently, is neither Indo-European nor related to Etruscan). The Phaistos Disc, as well as everything written in Linear A, cannot be deciphered.

Phaistos disc.

Ancient Egypt was an ally of Crete for many years. On the contrary, contacts of Crete with Egypt's rivals (the civilizations of Mesopotamia, the Hittite kingdom) are not attested.

Some of the Minoans moved to Cyprus and Ugarit, where their colonies were founded. Later, the Minoans in Cyprus were subjugated by the Teucrians (one of the “peoples of the sea”), and in Ugarit they were assimilated by the Semites.

Crete is not mentioned in the Hittite-Luwian inscriptions of Asia Minor; Apparently, Crete was in contact not with the Hittites, but with small states located along west coast Anatolia. Inscriptions believed to be of Cretan origin have been discovered in Troy. The Cretans colonized a number of Aegean islands (particularly the Cyclades), but their expansion appears to have encountered Pelasgian rivalry.

Contacts with mainland Greece, apparently, were few and developed after the capture of Crete by the Achaeans.

Sunset

The Minoan civilization suffered greatly as a result of a natural disaster - a volcanic explosion (between 1628 and 1500 BC) on the island of Thera (Santorini), which generated a powerful earthquake and a catastrophic tsunami. This volcanic eruption may have served as the basis for the myth of the destruction of Atlantis.

Boxing boys (fresco from the island of Santorini)

Previously it was assumed that the volcanic eruption destroyed the Minoan civilization, but archaeological excavations in Crete showed that the Minoan civilization existed for at least about 100 years after the eruption (a layer of volcanic ash was discovered under the structures of the Minoan culture).

"Fisherman". Minoan fresco from Thira

To this day, the exact cause of the fires that finally destroyed the Minoan palaces in 1450 BC is unknown. e.

RUINS OF THE MINOAN CIVILIZATION

After the eruption, the Achaeans seized power on the island. This is how the Mycenaean culture (Crete and mainland Greece) arose, combining Minoan and Greek elements. In the 12th century BC. e. The Mycenaean culture was destroyed by the Dorians, who eventually settled Crete. The invasion of the Dorians led to a sharp cultural decline, and the Cretan script fell out of use. The Minoans hid from sea raids in highland settlements such as Karfi. Nevertheless, the Eteocretan language (the language of the autochthonous Cretans), like the Minoan cults, continued to exist for a long time. The last monuments of the Eteocritan language, written in the Greek alphabet (one inscription also in Linear A), date back to the 3rd century. BC e. (a thousand years after the disappearance of the Minoan civilization).

Heritage of ancient civilizations. Santorini and Thira

State

The Minoan civilization was a state. The presence of a single ruler (king or queen) has not been proven, which sharply distinguishes it from other Mediterranean states of the Bronze Age.

The Minoans traded with Ancient Egypt and exported copper from Cyprus. The architecture is characterized by reinterpreted Egyptian borrowings (for example, the use of columns).

The Minoan army was armed with slings and bows. A characteristic weapon of the Minoans was also the double-sided labrys axe.

Like other peoples of Old Europe, the Minoans had a widespread cult of the bull.

The Minoans smelted bronze, produced ceramics and built multi-story, up to 5 floors, palace complexes from the middle of the 20th century BC e. (Knossos, Phaistos, Mallia).

Like other pre-Indo-European religions in Europe, the Minoan religion was not alien to the remnants of matriarchy.

"Pillar Shrine" within the Minoan palace of Cnossus, Crete. 16th century BC e.

In particular, the Goddess with snakes (possibly an analogue of Astarte) was revered.

Culture and technology

The Minoans built water pipes and sewers in their palaces. Used the baths and pools.

Painting. One of the most popular motifs in late Minoan art was the octopus.

Religion. There was no temple in the religious tradition of the Minoans. Religious rituals were performed outdoors or in the palace. The sacrifice of bulls is widespread.

Minoan_civilization

Civilization arose in the 41st century. back.

Civilization stopped in the 36th century. back.

Originating at one of the busiest crossroads of the ancient Mediterranean, the Minoan culture of Crete was influenced by ancient civilizations the Middle East, on the one hand, and the Neolithic cultures of Anatolia, the Danube lowland and Balkan Greece, on the other.

The time of the emergence of the Minoan civilization was the turn of the 3rd-2nd millennia BC, the end of the so-called Early Bronze Age.

At this time, bizarre buildings appeared on Crete, which modern archaeologists usually call “palaces.”

In the middle of the 15th century, disaster struck Crete. Almost all palaces and settlements were destroyed, many were abandoned forever by their inhabitants and forgotten for millennia. The Minoan culture could no longer recover from this blow. From the middle of the 15th century. its decline begins.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

EToynbee lists that civilization in his catalogue.

TORit for a long time remained the largest island of the Aegean archipelago and lay at the intersection of the most important sea routes of the Hellenic world. Every ship going from Piraeus to Sicily passed between Crete and Laconia, and ships going from Piraeus to Egypt inevitably passed between Crete and Rhodes.

No if Laconia and Rhodes really played a leading role in Hellenic history, then Crete was considered an abandoned province.

Dthe most jealous center of civilization in Europe was the island of Crete. Since ancient times, sea routes crossed here, connecting the Balkan Peninsula and the Aegean islands with Asia Minor, Syria and North Africa.

INOriginating at one of the busiest crossroads of the ancient Mediterranean, the Minoan culture of Crete was influenced by the ancient civilizations of the Middle East, on the one hand, and the Neolithic cultures of Anatolia, the Danube lowland and Balkan Greece, on the other.

Mforeigners are the people who inhabited Crete in ancient times.

NThe name “Minoan” was introduced into science by the discoverer of the ancient Cretan culture A. Evans, who formed it on behalf of the mythical king of Crete Minos.)

INThe time of the emergence of the Minoan civilization was the turn of the 3rd-2nd millennia BC, the end of the so-called Early Bronze Age.

INAt this time, bizarre buildings appeared on Crete, which modern archaeologists usually call “palaces.”

WITHThe very first of all Cretan palaces was opened by A. Evans in Knossos. According to legend, here was the main residence of the legendary ruler of Crete - King Minos.

Gthe rivers called the palace of Minos “the labyrinth.” In Greek myths, the labyrinth was described as a huge building with many rooms and corridors. A person who got into it could not get out of there without outside help and inevitably died: in the depths of the palace lived a bloodthirsty Minotaur - a monster with a human body and the head of a bull.

PThe tribes and peoples ruled by Minos were obliged to annually entertain the terrible beast with human sacrifices until he was killed by the famous Athenian hero Theseus.

PThe nature of the island was not always favorable to its inhabitants. Thus, earthquakes often occurred in Crete, often reaching destructive force. If we add to this the frequent sea storms in these places with thunderstorms and torrential rains, dry years of famine, and epidemics, then the life of the Minoans will seem to us not so calm and cloudless.

DIn order to protect themselves from natural disasters, the inhabitants of Crete turned to their many gods for help. The central figure of the Minoan pantheon was the great goddess - the “mistress”. In works of Cretan art (figurines and seals), the goddess appears to us in her various incarnations.

Rreligion played a huge role in the life of Minoan society, leaving its mark on absolutely all areas of its spiritual and practical activity. During the excavations of the Knossos palace, a huge amount of all kinds of religious utensils were found, including figurines of the great goddess, sacred symbols like bull horns or a double ax - labrys, altars and tables for sacrifices, various vessels for libations, etc.

Nand in Crete, therefore, there existed a special form of royal power, known in science under the name of “theocracy” (this is the name of one of the varieties of monarchy, in which secular and spiritual power belongs to the same person). The person of the king was considered “sacred and inviolable.”

CThe Ari of Kpossa did not just live and rule - they performed sacred functions. The “Holy of Holies” of the Kpos palace, the place where the king-priest condescended to communicate with his subjects, made sacrifices to the gods and at the same time decided on state affairs, is his throne room, located not far from the large central courtyard.

UWe have every reason to believe that in Cretan society the relations of domination and subordination characteristic of early class society have already developed. Thus, it can be assumed that the agricultural population was subject to duties, both in kind and labor, in favor of the palace. It was obliged to deliver livestock, grain, oil, wine and other products to the palace.

INAll these receipts were recorded by the palace scribes on clay tablets, from which, by the time of the death of the palace (late 15th century BC), a whole archive was compiled, numbering about 5,000 documents, and then handed over to the palace storerooms, where, in this way, huge amounts accumulated. stocks of food and other material assets.

GThe food supplies accumulated in the palace over time could serve as a reserve fund in case of famine. These same reserves provided food for the artisans working in the community. The surplus, which had no use in the community itself, went for sale to overseas countries: Egypt, Syria, Cyprus, where they could be exchanged for goods that were not available in Crete itself: gold and copper, ivory and purple fabrics.

Tcommercial sea expeditions in those days were associated with great risk and expense. The state, which had the necessary material and human resources, was able to organize and finance such an enterprise.

RThe heyday of the Minoan civilization occurred in the 16th - first half of the 15th centuries. BC. It was at this time that the Cretan palaces were rebuilt with unprecedented splendor and splendor. At this time, all of Crete was apparently united under the rule of the kings of Knossos and became a single centralized state.

ABOUTThis is evidenced by the network of convenient wide roads laid throughout the island and connecting Knossos, the capital of the state, with its most remote ends. This is also indicated by the already noted fact of the absence of fortifications in Knossos and other palaces of Crete.

GRiver historians considered Minos the first thalassocrat - the ruler of the sea. They said about him that he created a large navy, eradicated piracy and established his dominance over the entire Aegean Sea, its islands and coasts.

PThis edition, apparently, is not devoid of historical grain. Indeed, as archeology shows, in the 16th century. BC. the wide maritime expansion of Crete in the Aegean basin begins. Minoan colonies and trading posts appeared on the islands of the Cyclades archipelago, on the island of Rhodes and even on the coast of Asia Minor, in the Miletus region.

INAt the same time, the Cretans established lively trade and diplomatic relations with Egypt and the states of the Syro-Phoenician coast. This is indicated by the fairly frequent finds of Minoan pottery in these areas. On Crete itself, things of Egyptian and Syrian origin were found.

INIn the middle of the 15th century the situation changed dramatically. A catastrophe struck Crete, the like of which the island had never experienced in its entire history. centuries-old history. Almost all palaces and settlements were destroyed, many were abandoned forever by their inhabitants and forgotten for millennia.

ABOUTFrom this blow, the Minoan culture could no longer recover. From the middle of the 15th century. its decline begins. Crete loses its leading position cultural center Aegean basin. The causes of the disaster have not yet been precisely established.

Griver archaeologist S. Marinatos believes that the destruction of palaces and settlements was a consequence of a grandiose volcanic eruption on the island of Thera (Santorini) in the southern Aegean Sea

DOther scientists are inclined to believe that the culprits of the disaster were the Achaean Greeks who invaded Crete from mainland Greece. They plundered and devastated the island, which had long attracted them with its fabulous riches, and subjugated its population to their power.

DIndeed, in the culture of Kposs, the only one of the Cretan palaces that survived the catastrophe of the mid-15th century, important changes took place after this event, indicating the emergence of a new people here.

PThe full-blooded realistic Minoan art is now giving way to dry and lifeless stylization. Motifs traditional for Minoan vase painting - plants, flowers, octopuses on palace-style vases - are transformed into abstract graphic schemes.

INAt the same time, in the vicinity of Knossos, graves appeared containing a wide variety of weapons: bronze swords, daggers, helmets, arrowheads and copies, which was not at all typical for earlier Minoan burials.

WITHApparently, representatives of the Achaean military nobility, who settled in the Knossos palace, were buried in these graves.

NFinally, another fact that indisputably indicates the penetration of new ethnic elements into Crete: in the Knossos archive, many documents were discovered (the so-called Linear B group), compiled in the Greek (Achaean) language, and only two dozen pre-Achene (Linear A) .

EThese documents date mainly from the end of the 15th century. BC. Obviously, at the end of the 15th or beginning of the 14th century. The palace of Knossos was destroyed and was never fully restored. Many wonderful works of Minoan art were destroyed in the fire.

++++++++++++++++++++

Minoan civilization - refers to the Aegean civilization of the Bronze Age of the island of Crete (2700-1400 BC). The main centers of culture and civilization were the so-called palaces - complex economic and political complexes, the largest of which existed in Knossos, Phaistos, Zakros and Tylissa.

Fragments of the Knossos Palace

The culture is named after the mythical king of Crete Minos, the owner of the labyrinth built, according to legend, by Daedalus.

The Minoans conducted active maritime trade (the island was located at the intersection of the main sea trade routes), engaged in piracy, and maintained friendly relations with Ancient Egypt. None of the palaces had fortifications: obviously, the inhabitants of the island felt completely safe.

Minoan civilization. Ancient Crete and its inhabitants

During the Middle Minoan period, the influence of the culture spread to mainland Greece, and during the same period the Cycladic culture was assimilated by the Minoans. The invasion of Crete by the Achaean Greeks did not lead to the decline of culture, but to a new stage in its development - the emergence of a mixed Mycenaean culture, the influence of which extended to mainland Greece, Crete, the islands of the Aegean Sea and a number of territories in the eastern Mediterranean. The native Cretans continued to play at least an important cultural role in Mycenaean Greece. After the Dorian invasion, the Minoan culture completely disappeared, and the indigenous population of Crete was assimilated by the Greeks no later than the 4th-3rd centuries. BC e.

Heritage of ancient civilizations. Minoan culture

Early period of study

At the beginning of the 19th century, historical information about Minoan Crete was collected and analyzed by Robert Pashley. Since Crete belonged to Turkey in those years, he did not have the opportunity to conduct excavations, but he managed to establish the exact location of the city of Kydonia.

The official date of the discovery of the culture is considered to be March 16, 1900, when the English archaeologist Arthur Evans began excavating the Knossos Palace.

In 1900-1920 intensive excavations of Crete were carried out, on the materials of which historians’ ideas about the Minoan civilization were based for a long time. The excavations were led by Federico Halberr, Luigi Pernier, John Pendlebury and a number of other archaeologists.

After deciphering the Cretan script

A tablet with an inscription in Cypriot-Minoan script.

To this day, the question of when the Achaeans and Pelasgians took a dominant position in the Minoan civilization remains controversial; both legendary tradition and archaeological evidence indicate that this happened in Crete, before the center of power moved to Mycenae. W. Ridgway disputed the correctness of the term “Minoan civilization” created by Evans, pointing out that the legendary king Minos was not a “Minoan”, but an alien from mainland Greece; Ridgway's point of view also has modern supporters.

Chronology

Preminoan period of Crete

Caves on Matala Beach

Anatolian origins of Minoan culture

Cylinder seal from Arslantepe

Labrys as a symbol of Minoan culture

Influence of mainland Greece (Pelasgians)

"Pythos with medallions" in the Knossos Palace. Named for their convex disks, they belong to the Middle Minoan III or Late Minoan IA period.

In addition, in the names of settlements of ancient Crete there are suffixes characteristic of mainland Greece -ss-, -nth-, etc.

Cultural connections

Fresco of the Palace of Knossos Prince with lilies, dated around 1550 BC. e.

Phaistos disc.

Ancient Egypt was an ally of Crete for many years. On the contrary, contacts of Crete with Egypt's rivals (the civilizations of Mesopotamia, the Hittite kingdom) are not attested.

Crete is not mentioned in the Hittite-Luwian inscriptions of Asia Minor; Apparently, Crete was not in contact with the Hittites, but with small states located along the western coast of Anatolia. Inscriptions believed to be of Cretan origin have been discovered in Troy. The Cretans colonized a number of Aegean islands (particularly the Cyclades), but their expansion appears to have encountered Pelasgian rivalry.

Contacts with mainland Greece, apparently, were few and developed after the capture of Crete by the Achaeans.

Sunset

Boxing boys (fresco from the island of Santorini)

The Death of Ancient Civilizations. Minoan Mystery

"Fisherman". Minoan fresco from Thira

To this day, the exact cause of the fires that finally destroyed the Minoan palaces in 1450 BC is unknown. e.

Bronze Age fresco (Santorini)

RUINS OF THE MINOAN CIVILIZATION

Heritage of ancient civilizations. Santorini and Thira

State

The Minoan civilization was a state. The presence of a single ruler (king or queen) has not been proven, which sharply distinguishes it from other Mediterranean states of the Bronze Age.
The Minoans traded with Ancient Egypt and exported copper from Cyprus. The architecture is characterized by reinterpreted Egyptian borrowings (for example, the use of columns).
The Minoan army was armed with slings and bows. A characteristic weapon of the Minoans was also the double-sided labrys axe.
Like other peoples of Old Europe, the Minoans had a widespread cult of the bull.
The Minoans smelted bronze, produced ceramics, and built multi-story, up to 5-story palace complexes from the mid-20th century BC. e. (Knossos, Phaistos, Mallia).
Like other pre-Indo-European religions in Europe, the Minoan religion was not alien to the remnants of matriarchy.

"Pillar Shrine" within the Minoan palace of Cnossus, Crete. 16th century BC e.

In particular, the Goddess with snakes (possibly an analogue of Astarte) was revered.

Fresco from Knossos Palace

Culture and technology

The Minoans built water pipes and sewers in their palaces. Used the baths and pools.

Painting. One of the most popular motifs in late Minoan art was the octopus.

Religion. There was no temple in the religious tradition of the Minoans. Religious rituals were performed outdoors or in the palace. The sacrifice of bulls is widespread.

Games with a bull (fresco from Knossos)

All attempts to reconstruct the Minoan religion and pantheon of deities are quite speculative. According to one of the hypotheses (M. Gimbutas), the bull was the personification of male power, the queen was a female deity like a great goddess.

"Snake Goddess"

Secrets of Vanished Civilizations. Minoan Culture

The oldest center of civilization in Europe was the island of Crete. In my own way geographical location this mountainous island, closing the entrance to the Aegean Sea from the south, represents a natural outpost of the European continent, facing the African and Asian coasts Mediterranean Sea. Since ancient times, sea routes crossed here, connecting the Balkan Peninsula and the Aegean islands with Asia Minor, Syria and North Africa. Originating at one of the busiest crossroads of the ancient Mediterranean, Minoan (The name “Minoan” (respectively, the Minoans are the people who inhabited Crete in ancient times) was introduced into science by the discoverer of the ancient Cretan culture A. Evans, who formed it on behalf of the mythical king of Crete Minos.) the culture of Crete was influenced by the ancient civilizations of the Middle East, on the one hand, and the Neolithic cultures of Anatolia, the Danube lowland and Balkan Greece, on the other. The time of the emergence of the Minoan civilization was the turn of the 3rd-2nd millennia BC, in other words, the end of the so-called Early Bronze Age. Part of Europe is still covered with dense forests and swamps, but in some places on the map of the continent one can already see separate centers of agricultural and agricultural-pastoral cultures (south and southeast of Europe: Spain, Italy, the Danube region, southern Russian steppes, Greece). At this time, bizarre buildings appeared on Crete, which modern archaeologists usually call “palaces.”

The very first of all Cretan palaces was opened by A. Evans in Knossos (the central part of Crete, not far from the northern coast of the island). According to legend, here was the main residence of the legendary ruler of Crete - King Minos. The Greeks called the palace of Minos a “labyrinth” (a word they borrowed from some pre-Greek language). In Greek myths, the labyrinth was described as a huge building with many rooms and corridors. A person who got into it could not get out of there without outside help and inevitably died: in the depths of the palace lived a bloodthirsty Minotaur - a monster with a human body and the head of a bull. The tribes and peoples subject to Minos were obliged to annually entertain the terrible beast with human sacrifices until he was killed by the famous Athenian hero Theseus. Excavations actually revealed a building or even a whole complex of buildings with total area 16,000 sq. m, which included about three hundred rooms of the most diverse nature and purpose (It should be borne in mind that only the first floor of the palace and basement rooms have been preserved. Initially, the building had two or three floors in height.). Subsequently, similar structures were opened in other places in Crete.

In its appearance, the palace most closely resembles intricate theatrical scenery under open air: fancy porticos with columns that seem to be turned upside down, wide stone steps of open terraces, numerous balconies and loggias, carved stone decorations on the roofs, schematically depicting “sacred” bull horns, bright spots of frescoes. The interior layout is extremely disorderly. Living rooms, utility rooms, connecting corridors and staircases, courtyards and light wells are located without any visible system or clear plan. But despite the apparent chaos of the palace building, it is still perceived as a single architectural ensemble. This is largely facilitated by the large rectangular courtyard occupying the central part of the palace, with which all the main premises that were part of this were connected. huge complex. The courtyard was paved with large gypsum slabs and, apparently, was used not for household needs, but for religious purposes. Perhaps it was here that the famous games with bulls were held, images of which we see on the frescoes decorating the walls of the palace. The palace of Knossos had to be rebuilt several times after frequent strong earthquakes (Knossos and other palaces were first built around 2000 BC, but were finally abandoned between the 15th century and 1200 BC). New premises were added to the old ones that already existed. The rooms and storage rooms seemed to be strung together one next to the other, forming long enfilade rows. Separate buildings and groups of buildings gradually merged into a single residential area, grouped around a central courtyard. The palace was equipped with everything necessary to ensure that the life of its inhabitants was calm and comfortable. The palace builders even created water supply and sewerage systems. The ventilation and lighting system was also well thought out. The entire thickness of the building was cut from top to bottom with special light wells, through which sunlight and air entered the lower floors of the palace. In addition, large windows and open verandas served the same purpose. Let us recall for comparison that the ancient Greeks back in the 5th century. BC. - at the time of the highest flowering of their culture - they lived in dim, stuffy dwellings and did not know such basic amenities as a bath and a toilet with a drain.

A significant part of the lower, ground floor of the palace was occupied by storerooms in which wine, olive oil and other products were stored. In the floor of the storerooms there were pits lined with stone and covered with stone slabs into which grain was poured.

During the excavations of the Knossos palace, archaeologists found a wide variety of works of art and artistic crafts, executed with great taste and skill. Many of these things were created in the palace itself, in special workshops in which jewelers, potters, vase painters and artisans of other professions worked, serving the king and the nobility around him with their labor (workshop premises were discovered in many places on the territory of the palace). The wall paintings that decorated the interior chambers, corridors and porticos of the palace deserve special attention. Some of these frescoes depicted scenes from natural life: plants, birds, sea animals. Others depict the inhabitants of the palace itself: slender, tanned men with long black hair styled in whimsically curly curls, with thin, “aspen” waists and broad shoulders, and “ladies” in huge bell-shaped skirts with many frills and tightly drawn bodices that leave the breasts completely open. Men's clothing is much simpler. Most often it consists of one loincloth. But on their heads they have a magnificent headdress made of bird feathers, and on their necks and hands you can see gold jewelry: necklaces, bracelets. The people depicted on the frescoes participate in some complex and not always understandable ceremonies. Some walk decorously in a solemn procession, carrying sacred vessels with libations for the gods on their outstretched arms, others smoothly dance around the sacred tree, others carefully watch some ritual or performance, sitting on the steps of the “theater platform”.

Minoan artists had a remarkable mastery of the art of conveying the movements of people and animals. An example is the magnificent frescoes, which depict the so-called “games with bulls”. We see on them a rapidly rushing bull and an acrobat performing a series of intricate somersaults right on its horns and on its back. In front of and behind the bull, the artist depicted the figures of two girls in loincloths, apparently “assistants” of the acrobat. The meaning of this entire scene is not entirely clear. We do not know who took part in this strange and undoubtedly fatal competition between a man and an angry animal, or what his ultimate goal was. However, it is safe to say that “games with bulls” were not simple fun for an idle crowd in Crete, like modern Spanish bullfighting. It was a religious ritual associated with one of the main Minoan cults - the cult of the bull god.

Scenes of games with a bull are perhaps the only disturbing note in Minoan art. The cruel, bloody scenes of war and hunting, so popular in the art of the Middle East and mainland Greece at that time, were completely alien to him. Judging by what we see in the frescoes and other works of Cretan artists, the life of the Minoan elite was free from unrest and anxiety. It took place in a joyful atmosphere of almost continuous celebrations and colorful performances. Crete was reliably protected from the hostile outside world by the waves of the Mediterranean Sea washing it. There was not a single significant maritime or other hostile power near the island at that time. Only a sense of security can explain the fact that all Cretan palaces, including Knossos, remained unfortified throughout almost their entire history.

Of course, in works of palace art the life of Minoan society is presented in an idealized, embellished form. In reality, she also had her shadow sides. The nature of the island was not always favorable to its inhabitants. Thus, earthquakes often occurred in Crete, often reaching destructive force. If we add to this the frequent sea storms in these places with thunderstorms and torrential rains, dry years of famine, and epidemics, then the life of the Minoans will seem to us not so calm and cloudless.

In order to protect themselves from natural disasters, the inhabitants of Crete turned to their many gods for help. The central figure of the Minoan pantheon was the great goddess - the “mistress”. In works of Cretan art (figurines and seals), the goddess appears to us in her various incarnations. We see her now as a formidable mistress of wild animals, mistress of mountains and forests with all their inhabitants, now as a benevolent patroness of vegetation, especially cereals and fruit trees, now as an ominous queen underworld holding writhing snakes in her hands. Behind these images one can discern the features of the ancient deity of fertility - the great mother of people and animals, whose veneration was widespread in all Mediterranean countries since at least the Neolithic era. Next to the great goddess, the embodiment of femininity and motherhood, a symbol of the eternal renewal of nature, we find in the Minoan pantheon a deity who embodies the destructive forces of nature - the formidable element of an earthquake, the power of a raging sea. These terrifying phenomena were embodied in the minds of the Minoans in the image of a powerful and ferocious bull god. On some Minoan seals, the divine bull is depicted as a fantastic creature - a man with a bull's head, which immediately reminds us of the later Greek myth of the Minotaur. In order to pacify the formidable deity and thus calm the angry elements, abundant sacrifices were made to him, including, apparently, human ones (an echo of this barbaric ritual was preserved in the myth of the Minotaur).

Religion played a huge role in the life of Minoan society, leaving its mark on absolutely all areas of its spiritual and practical activity. During excavations of the Knossos palace it was found great amount all kinds of religious utensils, including figurines of the great goddess, sacred symbols like bull horns or a double ax - labrys, altars and tables for sacrifices, various vessels for libations, etc. Many rooms of the palace were used as sanctuaries for religious rites and ceremonies. Among them are crypts - hiding places in which sacrifices were made to the underground gods, pools for ritual ablutions, small home chapels, etc. The very architecture of the palace, the paintings decorating its walls, and other works of art were thoroughly imbued with complex religious symbolism. It was a palace-temple, where all the inhabitants, including the king himself, his family, the court “ladies” and “gentlemen” surrounding them, performed various priestly duties, participating in rituals, images of which we see on palace frescoes.

In Crete, therefore, there existed a special form of royal power, known in science under the name “theocracy” (this is the name of one of the varieties of monarchy, in which secular and spiritual power belongs to the same person). The person of the king was considered “sacred and inviolable.” Even viewing it, apparently, was forbidden to mere mortals. This is how one can explain the strange at first glance circumstance that among the works of Minoan art there is not a single one that could be confidently recognized as an image of a royal person. The entire life of the king and his household was strictly regulated and raised to the level of religious ritual. The kings of Kposs did not just live and rule - they performed sacred functions. The “Holy of Holies” of the Kpos palace, the place where the priest-king condescended to communicate with his subjects, made sacrifices to the gods and at the same time decided state affairs, is his throne room, located not far from the large central courtyard. Before entering it, visitors passed through the vestibule, in which there was a large porphyry bowl for ritual ablutions: apparently, in order to appear before the “royal eyes”, it was necessary to first wash away everything bad from oneself. The throne room itself is a small rectangular room. Directly opposite the entrance there is a plaster chair with a high wavy back - a royal throne. Along the walls there are benches lined with alabaster, on which the royal advisers, high priests and dignitaries of Knossos sat. The walls of the throne room are painted with colorful frescoes. depicting griffins - fantastic monsters with a bird's head on a lion's body. The griffins recline in solemn, frozen poses on both sides of the throne, as if protecting the Lord of Crete from harm.

Magnificent palaces Cretan kings, the untold wealth stored in their cellars and storerooms, the environment of comfort and abundance in which the kings themselves and their entourage lived - all this was created by the labor of many thousands of nameless farmers and artisans. Unfortunately, we know little about the life of the working population of Crete. It lived, apparently, outside the palaces in small villages scattered across fields and mountains with miserable adobe houses, closely pressed together, with crooked, narrow streets. They stand in stark contrast to the monumental architecture of the palaces and the luxury of their interior decoration. Simple and crude grave goods, discovered by archaeologists in remote mountain sanctuaries, and simple dedicatory gifts in the form of roughly sculpted clay figurines of people and animals indicate a rather low standard of living of the Minoan village, the backwardness of its culture in comparison with the sophisticated culture of the palaces.

We have every reason to believe that in Cretan society the relations of domination and subordination characteristic of early class society have already developed. Thus, it can be assumed that the agricultural population was subject to duties, both in kind and labor, in favor of the palace. It was obliged to deliver livestock, grain, oil, wine and other products to the palace. All these receipts were recorded by palace scribes on clay tablets, from which, by the time of the death of the palace (end of the 15th century BC), a whole archive was compiled, numbering about 5,000 documents, and then handed over to the palace storerooms, where, in this way, huge amounts accumulated. stocks of food and other material assets. With the hands of the same farmers, the palace itself was built and rebuilt, roads and irrigation canals were laid, bridges were erected (Along with the free community members, who were obviously tax dependent on the palace, in all likelihood, people who belonged to the category of unfree (slaves) also worked for it. or semi-free (servants and clients). Judging by analogies with other early class societies that existed, for example, in the countries of the Middle East or in later Mycenaean Greece, this palace staff could be quite numerous, numbering hundreds or even thousands of workers trained in various professions.) . One should not think that they did all this under duress, just because the king or his nobles wanted it so. The palace was the main sanctuary of the community, and elementary piety demanded from the villager that he honor the gods who lived in the sanctuary with gifts, donating the surplus of his household supplies to organize festivals and sacrifices, and also work himself “for the glory of God.” True, between the people and their gods stood a whole army of intermediaries - a staff of professional priests serving the sanctuary, headed by the “sacred king”. Essentially, it was an already established, clearly defined layer of hereditary priestly nobility, opposed to the rest of society. Uncontrollably disposing of the reserves stored in the palace warehouses, the priests could use the lion's share of these riches for their own needs.

Of course, along with religious motives, the concentration of the community's surplus product in the hands of palace elite was also dictated by purely economic feasibility. For years, food supplies accumulated in the palace could serve as a reserve fund in case of famine. These same reserves provided food for the artisans working in the community. The surplus, which had no use in the community itself, went for sale to overseas countries: Egypt, Syria, Cyprus, where they could be exchanged for goods that were not available in Crete itself: gold and copper, ivory and purple fabrics. Trade sea expeditions in those days were associated with great risk and expense. The state, which had the necessary material and human resources, was able to organize and finance such an enterprise. It goes without saying that the rare goods obtained in this way ended up in the same palace storerooms and from there were distributed among the master craftsmen of the palace and villages. So, the palace performed universal functions in Minoan society, being at the same time the administrative and religious center of the community, its main granary, workshop and center of trade.

The heyday of the Minoan civilization occurred in the 16th - first half of the 15th centuries. BC. It was at this time that the Cretan palaces were rebuilt with unprecedented splendor and splendor. At this time, all of Crete was apparently united under the rule of the kings of Knossos and became a single centralized state. This is evidenced by the network of convenient wide roads laid throughout the island and connecting Knossos, the capital of the state, with its most remote ends. This is also indicated by the already noted fact of the absence of fortifications in Knossos and other palaces of Crete. If each of these palaces were the capital of an independent state, its owners would probably take care of their protection from hostile neighbors. It is very possible that the unification of Crete around the Knossos palace was carried out by the famous Minos, about whom later Greek myths tell so much (However, it is possible that this name was borne by many kings who ruled Crete for a number of generations and constituted one dynasty.). Greek historians considered Minos the first thalassocrat - the ruler of the sea. They said about him that he created a large navy, eradicated piracy and established his dominance over the entire Aegean Sea, its islands and coasts. This legend, apparently, is not without historical grain. Indeed, as archeology shows, in the 16th century. BC. the wide maritime expansion of Crete in the Aegean basin begins. Minoan colonies and trading posts appeared on the islands of the Cyclades archipelago, on the island of Rhodes and even on the coast of Asia Minor, in the Miletus region. At the same time, the Cretans established lively trade and diplomatic relations with Egypt and the states of the Syro-Phoenician coast. This is indicated by the fairly frequent finds of Minoan pottery in these areas. On Crete itself, things of Egyptian and Syrian origin were found. On Egyptian paintings of the first half of the 15th century. BC. the ambassadors of the country of Keftiu (as the Egyptians called Crete) are presented in typical Minoan clothing - aprons and high ankle boots, with gifts to the pharaoh in their hands. There is no doubt that at the time to which these paintings date, Crete was the strongest maritime power, and Egypt was interested in the friendship of its kings.

In the middle of the 15th century, the situation changed dramatically. A catastrophe hit Crete, the like of which the island has never experienced in its entire centuries-old history. Almost all palaces and settlements were destroyed, many were abandoned forever by their inhabitants and forgotten for millennia. The Minoan culture could no longer recover from this blow. From the middle of the 15th century. its decline begins. Crete is losing its position as the leading cultural center of the Aegean Basin. The causes of the disaster have not yet been precisely established. Greek archaeologist S. Marinatos believes that the destruction of palaces and settlements was a consequence of a grandiose volcanic eruption on the island of Thera (modern Santorini) in the southern part of the Aegean Sea (After the disaster, the island, once apparently densely populated, partially went under water ; some identify it with the legendary Atlantis. - Ed. note). Other scientists are inclined to believe that the culprits of the disaster were the Achaean Greeks who invaded Crete from mainland Greece. They plundered and devastated the island, which had long attracted them with its fabulous riches, and subjugated its population to their power. Indeed, in the culture of Kpossa, the only one of the Cretan palaces that survived the catastrophe of the mid-15th century, important changes occurred after this event, indicating the emergence of a new people here. Full-blooded realistic Minoan art is now giving way to dry and lifeless stylization. Motifs traditional for Minoan vase painting - plants, flowers, octopuses on palace-style vases - are transformed into abstract graphic schemes. At the same time, in the vicinity of Knossos, graves appeared containing a wide variety of weapons: bronze swords, daggers, helmets, arrowheads and copies, which was not at all typical for earlier Minoan burials. Apparently, representatives of the Achaean military nobility, who settled in the Knossos palace, were buried in these graves. Finally, another fact that indisputably indicates the penetration of new ethnic elements into Crete: in the Knossos archive, many documents were discovered (the so-called Linear B group) compiled in Greek (Achaean) and only two dozen pre-Achene (Linear A) documents. .

These documents date mainly from the end of the 15th century. BC. Obviously, at the end of the 15th or beginning of the 14th century. The palace of Knossos was destroyed and was never fully restored. Many wonderful works of Minoan art were destroyed in the fire.

Since then, the decline of the Minoan civilization has become an irreversible process. It is increasingly degenerating, losing its unique identity. Crete is turning into a remote, backward province. The main center of cultural progress and civilization in the Aegean region is now moving north, to the territory of mainland Greece, where at that time the so-called Mycenaean culture flourished.

Related information.

The long Neolithic period on the island was replaced by a brilliant Minoan era, whose name comes from the name of the mythical king Minos, ruler of the kingdom and palace of Knossos.

The Minoan civilization was established and flourished from 2900 BC. to 1100 BC, a period of more than 1500 years.

The Minoan period is divided into four main periods:

Pre-palatial period (3300 - 2000 BC)

Old Palace period (2000 - 1750 BC)

New Palace period (1750 - 1490 BC)

Post-palatial period (1490 - 1100 BC)

The excavations of the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans shed light for the first time on a culture whose existence was previously known only from the Homeric epic and the Greek myth of the Minotaur.

The Minotaur, half man and half bull, devoured young men and women who were brought to him as tribute from mainland Greece.

Evans, at the beginning of the last century, found the ruins of the Palace of Knossos, which existed on the island of Crete since 1700 BC. and after.

The Palace of Knossos had a water and sewer network that was more advanced than any other built in Europe during the Roman era. The walls were elaborately decorated with frescoes depicting the Minoans as a happy and peaceful people who lived in harmony with nature, had an obvious penchant for dancing and loved big food. public festivals and sports competitions.

The structure of the Palace of Knossos seemed chaotic and complex to the first visitors and perhaps this fact gave rise to the myth of the famous labyrinth.

What was not suitable for growing grain crops was ideal for vines or olives. From then until today, oil and wine are the main agricultural products grown and exported from Crete

Sea

The Minoans soon realized that the sea that surrounded them and which they still feared was in fact their new best friend. The sea was an effective deterrent to invasions than any of the fortifications.

During the development and prosperity of civilization, the Minoans did not have to build walls around their cities. Thanks to the sea, the Minoans established cultural ties with other countries. Gradually they became virtuosos in shipbuilding, and the Minoan civilization became one of the first civilizations to base its development on the commercial fleet. The Minoans quickly colonized the nearby Aegean islands, the Cyclades, and began trading with Egypt and Syria. It is believed that they arrived in Sicily. Profits from trade and accumulated experience allowed them to build large ports, aqueducts and impressive palaces.

The Minoan sailors were selfless and their ships were more advanced.

The frescoes depicted ships with a high bow, a short stern, a large mast in the center of the square cloth, and a large blade at the stern for the rudder.

And when the wind blew, more than 25 oarsmen on each side of the ship provided it with the necessary strength to move. High bows cut through the waves, and heavy and reliable hulls made them stronger and more stable during storms. Even the arrogant Egyptians admired the maritime abilities of the Minoans. In an Egyptian tomb, a fresco depicts a group of Minoans, whom they called "keftiu", bringing gifts to the pharaoh. It is likely that the pharaoh of Egypt hired the Minoans and their ships to transport Lebanese cedar to his country.

Character

The Minoans developed an effective central authority to manage and monitor trade transactions. The registers were written on clay tablets, initially with a writing form that looked like Egyptian hieroglyphs and after 1700 BC. - using a syllabic script known as linear.

Perhaps because of their isolation, the Minoans fought less than other peoples of the time. They never covered the walls with scenes of battles or military exploits or described military exploits.

Their favorite topics were man in his Everyday life or religious and sporting events, as well as images of nature - flowers, fish, birds and dolphins.

Nor did they build statues or large mounds to satisfy vanity or to emphasize someone's power. Instead, their art is dominated by portraits of charming people with long black hair, tall and slender, wearing beautiful, colorful costumes. Women in particular are depicted in colorful, stunning dresses that leave their breasts exposed, perhaps as a sign of beauty, health and fertility. The Greeks assumed that the Minoans were the origin of dance.

Minoan art is spontaneous and light, full of rhythmic movements. If you believe what is depicted on the frescoes, the Minoans were probably the happiest people of the Bronze Age.

Society

Women in Crete enjoyed more freedom than women in any other culture of this era, even more than in Egypt. Frescoes in the palaces depict them as free-spirited, dressed in elegant dresses, wearing makeup and enjoying public celebrations with men, or even taking part in sporting events and competitions.

The wall painting is characterized by the depiction of a public celebration ceremony, when crowds gathered in the square of the Palace of Knossos to watch athletes perform difficult and risky bull jumps.

Perhaps Homer intuited when he stated in the Iliad that Crete had 90 cities. However, during the zenith of the Minoan civilization (1700 - 1200 BC), the population on the island reached 250,000 people and 40,000 of them lived in Knossos.

The cream of Cretan society consisted of the noble aristocracy, priests and priestesses.

The middle class consisted of artisans, merchants and office workers, and the working class of that time consisted of farmers, shepherds and laborers. The last social class is the serfs. The latter, despite their humble position, lived better than slaves in any other Bronze Age civilization.

Crete has never experienced the social unrest and upheaval that affects most societies.

A thousand years later, Aristotle would say that the serfs of Minoan Crete received all the privileges of Minoan citizens, with the exception of two: they could not bear arms and could not take part in sports and gymnastic events.

We do not know whether all or most of the Minoans were able to live in large houses, but we are sure that many of them lived comfortably, decorating their homes with beautiful pots and gardens. There were no fireplaces for cooking in their houses. For cooking, they used separate ovens made of clay or bronze. They ate better than their contemporaries, the Egyptians of Mesopotamia. They made bread from a mixture of wheat and barley flour. Their gardens supplied lettuce, lentils, beans, peas, plums, quinces and figs. Their cows and goats provided the necessary quantities of milk from which they made their cheese. Well, the sea supplied them with octopus, squid, mussels and many types of fish. They drank mainly wine, however, due to the gradual increase in the cultivation of grain, at some point it became scarce and beer appeared.

Religion

Minoan culture, religion and politics were interconnected. The throne room of King Minos, beautiful but not particularly luxurious, was a place where, in addition to politics, religious ministers often performed important ceremonies. Sporting events also had the character of religious rituals.

The sacred animal of the Minoans of Crete was Tavros. Works of art depicting the sacred animal were everywhere throughout the palace... vases in the shape of a bull's head were used in ceremonies. Most popular view sport - a bull jumping ceremony, where athletes grabbed the animal by the horns and did a complex somersault along the entire body of the animal.

It is possible that King Minos wore a mask with the head of a bull, and this was a fact from which the Greeks later formed the image of the Minotaur.

We have little information about the Minoan religion in contrast to what we know about the corresponding religions of this period in the Middle East. There were no large temples or large cult statues of gods here. The main Minoans were the Great Mother Goddess, which perhaps explains the important place of women in Cretan society. Many of the statues are of women, fashionably dressed, in fancy dresses that expose their breasts, with impressive hairstyles. They often hold two snakes in both hands. This may have been an inspiration for subsequent Greek deities such as Athena, Demeter and Aphrodite. Sometimes the Mother Goddess appears with a young man who may be her son.

Ceremonies, sporting events and bulls were sacrificial in nature to allow the Mother Goddess to protect them from a series of disasters such as sunken ships, disease, agricultural failures, especially earthquakes. Such destructive earthquakes occurred in the eastern Mediterranean at regular intervals - usually such large earthquakes occurred every fifty years, and each time they buried entire cities under ruins.

The Minoans never forgot about this natural phenomenon and explained it by the existence of the huge Tavros, who lived underground and shook the world with his roar.

End of the Minoan era

Despite the sacrifices, the Minoan civilization disappeared after another natural disaster. A series of earthquakes and tremors have caused so much destruction and so many deaths that the smooth development of society on the island is interrupted. Fighting broke out between Knossos and other Minoan major cities. In the end, Knossos emerged victorious, and the other palaces on the island were destroyed. On the mainland, the Achaeans, who learned the secrets of Minoan navigation, found opportunity and understood much of the organization of the colonies of Minoan Crete, limiting economic and political power.

Around 1160 BC an even greater element came when everything that had happened before seemed insignificant. The Santorini volcano exploded 70 nautical miles north of Crete. The explosion was so great that two-thirds of the island disappeared, and the blast wave created a huge tsunami that hit the densely populated area hard. north coast Krita, bringing widespread destruction and death. The Minoan fleet was destroyed, and the island naturally remained unprotected.

The survivors on the island were scattered in isolated settlements. Around 1100 BC The Dorian Greeks began landing on the island, whose ships began to dominate the Mediterranean Sea. The palace of Knossos was occupied by new invaders, who gradually began to displace the old inhabitants and take power on the island into their own hands.

A new era has begun not only for the island, but for all of Greece and the Mediterranean...