8/17/2019 01-21-2016 Origins of History and the Legend of the
Minotaur
1/2
Ancient Greek History – 01/21/2016
What forms our concept of History?
• Objects
o Architecture
o Artifactso Weaponry
o uria! Goo"s
#ince it $as taboo to "isturb %ra&es there are a !ot of
%oo"s that can te!!
ta!es about $hat it $as !ike back in ancient times'
• (e)ts
• Depositional Theory – Of $hat $e fin"* on!y ha!f
is actua!!y useab!e'
+inoan ,u!ture
• +inoan ,u!ture seems to first "e&e!op on the is!an" of
,rete'
(he -e%en" of the +inotaur
#uppose"!y* some$here $ithin a +inoan .a!ace is the !abyrinth
that contains the
Minotaur'
-e%en"s ho!"s that the +inotaur $as spa$ne" $hen the in% of
,rete Minos* $ho $as
suppose"!y on &ery %oo" terms $ith Poseidon'
Poseidon %a&e to Minos a %reat bu!!'
Minos "i" not "o $hat $as e)pecte" an" sacrifice the bu!!
back to Poseidon* he kept it
%ree"i!y* an" thus Minos $as curse" his $ife Pacify*
obsesse" $ith the bu!!* $ent to
Daedalus an" asks him to make her a machine that $ou!"
a!!o$ her to ha&e relations $ith the bu!!* thus spa$ne"
the Minotaur'
(he beast* ha&in% a!rea"y ki!!e" se&era! ser&ants*
nee"e" to be stoppe"' #o Minos $ent
to Daedalus an" ha" him create a !abyrinth to keep the
Minotaur in' With the Minotaur
trappe"* it became common to sacrifice 1 peop!e to the beasts
e&ery year this happene"
unti! it $as stoppe" by the -e%en"ary Athenian 3uke Theseus'
45nfortunate!y* Theseus’s father ki!!s himse!f thinkin% his
son is "ea"' (his $as
because (heseus f!e$ the b!ack f!a% si%na!in% he ha" "ie"
causin% his father %reat
sa"ness* enou%h to !eap from the c!iffs of Athens' (hus* $hen
Theseus returns he become
the in% of Athens'
+inoan 7e!ics
Artifacts foun" in a sunken ship near ,rete ha" pots $ith sea
anima!s upon them as $e!!
as art$ork of the fates'
