The Majestic Minoans

Greek mythology is packed to the brim with legends of ancient gods, heroes, and the nature of the cosmos.

For the Greeks, these stories formed an important part of everyday life and they immortalized their icons through poems and tragic novels which explored the travels of the likes of Odysseus and the exploits of King Agamemnon – but the fact that these myths were predominately fiction was noted as early as the fifth and fourth centuries BC by the philosopher Plato.

However, there might be traces of real-life legends in modern-day Greeks after all, as recent DNA evidence has suggested that they might be the descendants of the ancient populations that created these myths.

Who were the Minoans?

You might be aware of the legendary tales of King Minos, Daedalus, and the Minotaur, as well as many other characters from Greek Mythology, but as it turns out, these stories likely originated with the Minoans; inhabitants of the island of Crete, and, in fact, the oldest recorded population in that area. They may not exactly have been a Greek civilisation, but they certainly exerted a large cultural influence on what was to become the Ancient Greeks.

The realisation of the Minoan civilisation wasn’t until the late 19th Century when Sir Arthur Evans unearthed the Bronze Age Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete. Whereas it was previously thought that they arrived in the area from Africa or the Middle East, even by Evans himself, who named them after the legendary King Minos, a DNA analysis of ancient remains has demonstrated that they were, in fact, local in origin.

The Minoan civilisation thrived in the third millennium and were the first literate people of Europe – unsurprising considering the stories which abounded from this age. What is surprising though, is how incredibly advanced they were concerning their artwork and architecture. Evans, upon his discovery, was stunned by the Minoan murals and circular tombs, which bore similarities to ones built by the Ancient Egyptians and Libyans.

However, no structure could rival the grandeur of the Knossos Palace.

The mystery of Knossos Palace

Even Homer couldn’t deny the magnificence of the Knossos Palace in the infamous Odyssey, as he wrote of Crete “Among their cities is the great city of Cnosus, where Minos reigned when nine years old, he held converse with great Zeus.” It was this same King Minos, who in later tales became one of the three judges of the dead in the underworld, who was chosen as namesake for the Minoans. 

Located just south of modern-day Heraklion, Knossos Palace covers a space of land the size of two football fields.

It was the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan culture and is considered by many to be Europe’s oldest city. According to Greek mythology, it was designed by the famous architect Daedalus, and apparently with such complexity, that if it was intended, many who entered were never able to leave.

The site is believed to have been first inhabited in the Neolithic period, from around 7000 BC, until 1500 BC, when the palace was destroyed from what is believed to have been an earthquake. Although it was reconstructed, it was later abandoned between 1380 to 1100 BC for unknown reasons.

Despite being unearthed in 1984, the excavations of Knossos couldn’t begin until 1900 – although the quality of these excavations is still under considerable debate; due to continuous and perhaps misguided renovations, Knossos is considered by many archaeologists to be only a facsimile of its original stature. Yet, even though it may not be an entirely accurate reconstruction, Knossos still offers tourists the valuable chance to sense what the palace might have been like at the height of its heyday.

Some believe that the Palace of Knossos is the same one referred to in the Minotaur story, in which Theseus, son of King Aegeus (namesake of the Aegean sea), sailed to Crete to fight the formidable half-man, half-bull creature; the Minotaur. Legend has it that the Minotaur was King Mino’s son, who he imprisoned in the labyrinth at his castle in Knossos.

According to the story, thanks to sheer wit, Theseus was ultimately triumphant against the beast and fled from Crete with the king’s daughter Ariadne.

Tales such as this make it undeniably clear how intricately woven the Minoans are into the fabric of Greek culture and mythology. If you’re wondering if you have any majestic Minoan culture in your heritage, then find out today with My True Ancestry.