Looking at the Masters: Knossos, Crete

“There is an island called Crete in the midst of the wine-dark sea, a fair land and rich with water, and therein are many men innumerable, and 90 cities…and among these cities is the mighty city of Knossos, wherein Minos when he was nine years old began to rule, he who held converse with great Zeus.” (Homer, Odyssey, Book 10)

 

Crete, an island in the Aegean Sea south of the Greek mainland, was inhabited as early as 7000 BCE with a population of 25-50 people. Crete suffered from earthquakes, and the palace of Knossos was rebuilt several times. The palace was constructed c.1900 BCE and was destroyed c.1350 BCE. Excavation of the palace was first begun in 1877, but work was halted by conflicts with the Ottoman government.

 The Greek myths of Theseus and the minotaur and Daedalus and the labyrinth are set on Crete. British archeologist Arthur Evans was inspired by the myths, and he began extensive excavations at Knossos. Two foremen and 32 diggers began to work on the flower-covered hill in March 1900. Excavation of the site continues today. The existing palace covers 150,000 square feet. Outer structures remain under excavation.

A steep road leads up the mountain from the seaport. The “Ladies in Blue” (c.1600-1430 BCE) (fresco) got its name, as did most of the images, from Evans. Images of women abound on Crete and give us insight into a culture where men and women were equal, unlike many ancient civilizations.  The three women’s heads are in profile, and their black hair is elaborately coiffed and decorated with strings of pearls. Their long elegant necks lead to a frontal view their bare breasts surrounded by puffed gold and blue sleeves

 

“Snake Goddess” (c.1650-1400 BCE) (faience, a fired quartz paste with lustrous sheen) is one of many found on Crete. The bodice and breasts, narrow waist, and several layers of skirt are typical of the dresses worn by the women of Crete. With her arms outstretched, the woman controls a snake in each hand. Other Snake Goddess figurines include snakes coiling around the waist, breasts, and arms. On her head is a crown with a cat or panther on top. She could be described as “Mistress of the Animals,” similar to female figures from other cultures. She is a divine figure with great power; both men and women worship her.

The “Queen’s Megaron” (c.1700-1450 BCE) (Queen’s Room) is well-ventilated with windows, doors, and air shafts, allowing sea breezes to keep the air fresh. A small female figure can be seen on the door at the right side of the room. Two interior doors are decorated with a motif of blue flowers and a red spiral design found in seashells. One of the doors leads to the Queen’s bathroom, where a bathtub was found. It could be filled with water and then overturned onto a floor drain. The second door leads to a latrine with a seat over a drain. It could be flushed by pouring water into it with a jug, and the drain below is connected to an extensive underground drain system. Fresh water from a nearby mountain spring was funneled into a system of terracotta pipes that carried fresh water throughout the palace. Another system supplied fresh water to the town below. Water management and waste disposal were exceptional for the time.

The large “Dolphin Fresco” on the wall of the Queen’s megaron provides another example of a culture that enjoyed life. Humans and Dolphins had a close relationship because they were considered sailors’ friends. As a result, stories of dolphins saving ships and men from drowning made them a good omen. Dolphins were thought to be messengers from the gods. The five dolphins swim with schools of smaller fish in a painted wave pattern of water. Sea corals protrude from the top and bottom of the scene.   

As islanders, the Minoans were not afraid of attack, because they dominated the seas. They had all the resources they needed on the island or from trade. Their storage rooms held terra cotta jars (pithoi), as tall as a human, decorated with wave patterns. Minoan potters employed several decorative devises, none more famous than the curling legs of an octopus. 

The Minoans had the time to think, plan, and take full advantage of the sea’s offerings provided by their guardian, the god Poseidon. Unlike Egyptian art at the time, Minoan art is full of curved lines.  Almost no straight lines appear. Gentle curves and circular images are the hallmark of a relaxed society.   

One popular image, “Bull Leaping” (c.1450-1400 BCE) (fresco on stucco relief) (30.8’’x41.1’’) (“Toreador Fresco”) celebrated the athletic skills of both men and women. This popular image was repeated on gold rings and in sculpture. The bull is composed of elegant curved lines from horns to tail. The male figure, painted in red to indicate he is more often outside in the sun, is placed in the middle position, summersaulting over the bull’s back. The two females, painted in white to depict their more delicate skin, are placed at the beginning and the end of the leap. The female at the left grabs the horns preparing to leap, the male at the center somersaults, and the female at the right has just dismounted, sticking the landing. The figures wear loin cloths. Their hair is curled at the top, with curls falling down their backs. The muscles of their athletic bodies are emphasized. The scene is famed by decoratively painted rocks.

The myth of King Minos tells of his request to Poseidon, the god of the Sea, to send him a bull, a symbol of fertility, strength, and renewal. Minos prayed for a son, and promised to sacrifice the bull as an offering in thanksgiving. Poseidon sent a spectacular bull, and the king was hesitant to kill it, preferring to keep it for breeding. Aphrodite, angered by this betrayal, caused Minos’s wife to lust after the bull. Daedalus, the court architect, was persuaded to make her a cow suit, and she mated with the bull. The child was the Minitour, a man with the head of a bull who rampaged across the land of Crete. Minos ordered Daedalus to build a labyrinth under the palace to contain the Minitour, because he would not dare to kill him. Images of bull horns in the palace are prominent. For example, visitors walking up to Knossos pass by pairs of carved bull horns that are seven feet tall and over six feet wide.  

 

Throne Room (15th Century) was a place for ceremony and administration. The red walls were typical of many rooms in Knossos. An alabaster seat, called a throne by Evan, was built into the north wall, and its back was designed with long curves. A lustral basin, a tub for purification, was set in front of the throne. Benches of gypsum were placed around the walls. Around the walls, are large frescoes of reclining griffins, a mythological animal that was part lion and part eagle. The combination of the two created a creature of both earth and sky, symbols of divinity and kingship. Behind the griffins are tall lilies. The griffons and lilies also were prevalent in paintings and in small sculptures on signet rings and other decorations in the palace.  

An earthquake in the 15th Century BCE destroyed Crete. The splendor that was the palace of Knossos was unearthed and is in process of being restored. 

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Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years. Since retiring to Chestertown with her husband Kurt in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and the Institute of Adult Learning, Centreville. An artist, she sometimes exhibits work at River Arts. She also paints sets for the Garfield Theater in Chestertown.