The Legend of the Minotaur - 1311 Words

One of the most popular Greek myths is the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, it centres around an early civilisation on the island of Crete, it is a myth told long before Athens became the ruling capital. It is the legend of the Minotaur. The legend of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth of Knossos in Crete has enthralled many historians, archaeologists over, anthropologists and so on over years, even centuries. However, one archaeologist was captivated by the entrancing and beauty of the myth of The Minotaur and the Palace in Knossos was Arthur Evans. Before work began in Crete by the British archaeologist Evans at Knossos, knowledge of the Bronze Age Minoan culture was only faintly reflected in a few Classical Greek myths. By the time†¦show more content†¦They survived to a height of about two metres and were lined with gypsum benches. On one side was a gypsum throne and on the other a sunken room which Evans called a ‘Lustral Basin’. Over the course of the next four years, most of the ten-acre site had been excavated— although work would continue off and on until 1930. Evans was struck by the apparent absence of fortifications around the site and took this as confirmation of the ‘Thalassocracy of Minos’ described by Thucydides. In his decisive (and highly controversial) site interpretations, Evans drew heavily from post-Bronze Age, ancient Greek mythology to assume the site as the palace of the legendary King Minos. This conclusion is now much disputed, but early on gained solid grip among many archaeologists as well as in the popular imagination. In legends from sources varying from Herodotus to Hellenistic coins, Knossos was thought to be the palace site of Minos, king of the Cretan Minoans whose labyrinth contained the mythic Minotaur. Evans interpreted the complex layout of the palace at Knossos as labyrinthine, and connected this with the double-axe symbol or labrys found engraved on columns at the palace. Thus, his identification of Knossos civilization as Minoan made a compelling if (at times) somewhat strained metaphor, given the associated myths of King Minos, the labyrinth, and the Minotaur. His results and methods have come under criticism sinceShow MoreRelatedNot Have A Clue, The Etymology Of An Indication1046 Words   |  5 Pagesone universal definition. However, it deviates from mythology to modern discourse. For example, Theseus, the son of an Athenian King, narrowly escaped a Minotaur by ways of a clew. Clew derives from an undated Greek source denoting a ball of threadlike fabric. Middle English adopted a more figurative sense from the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. 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