Ancient Minoans- A Great Nation Unseen by Many

The Ancient Minoan nation is not usually what comes to mind for most people when thinking of great ancient societies. Places like Athens, Persia, Egypt, etc are the main examples of successful nations in antiquity. On the island of Crete, Minoans were the first established European nation. As an island were not even relatively close to size to these nations, but what they lacked in size, they made up for in intellectuality. Minoans had one of the richest cultural societies known to man at that time. It is where we first start to see a greater connection to nature in art, writing, and daily life. There was a great respect for the earth. Most art before hand depicted epic battle scenes or moments of great distress for a society. The Minoans however, focused on the beauty of nature. They also loved depicting a bull-leaping scene while creating art. This was a staple in Minoan society, and even women were able to participate. They relied heavily on the sea for survival, trade was a major part of their economy. They are accredited with making the world's first naval system.











Along with the obsession with nature came the folklore and mythology. Minoans are known for the story of the minotaur and the labyrinth. In fact, many of these stories are what influence future Greek societies ,such as the Mycenaeans, in their story telling. Minoans provided the stepping stones for future Greek societies, and give us an insight on the assimilation of their culture. The nation was slowly brought to an end when a volcano erupted completely decimating the land.

Sources: http://www.ancient.eu/Minoan_Civilization/