The island of Minos is best known as the home of the legendary Minotaur, a creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man. According to Greek mythology, the Minotaur was kept in a labyrinth built by the architect Daedalus on the orders of King Minos. Every nine years, seven young men and seven young women were sent into the labyrinth to be devoured by the Minotaur.
The myth of the Minotaur probably originated as a way to explain why bulls were sacrificed in Crete. Bulls were an important part of Minoan religion and culture, and they may have been sacrificed to ensure good harvests or to appease angry gods. The word “labyrinth” comes from the Greek labrys, meaning “double-bladed axe.” This may be a reference to the double-headed axe that was found in Minoan palaces and temples.
Although it is often associated with Greece, Minos was actually a king of Crete who lived centuries before Greece even existed as a country. He was one of six sons fathered by Zeus and Europa, and his brothers included Rhadamanthus, Sarpedon, and Ariadne. Like many ancient rulers, he was probably more myth than reality; however, there is evidence that he did exist and that he ruled over a prosperous kingdom called Knossos.
Knossos was located on present-day Crete near modern Heraklion. It was first inhabited around 7000 BCE but didn’t reach its height until around 1700 BCE when it became capital of an empire that controlled much of present-day Greece and Turkey. The palace at Knossos is considered one of the wonders of the ancient world; it covers an area equivalent to four football fields and contains 1,500 rooms connected by corridors and stairways. The palace complex also includes courtyards, baths, theaters, storerooms, workshops, shrines, schools… just about everything you would need for a thriving city!
Minos himself probably lived in a luxurious suite at Knossos decorated with frescoes (wall paintings) depicting scenes from nature or mythology. One famous fresco shows dolphins leaping out of waves; this may be inspired by real life since dolphins are often seen swimming near Crete today. Other frescoes show griffins (winged lions), bullshead fish (a type of ray), acrobats performing amazing feats… even monkeys! These paintings give us insight into what life may have been like for royalty in Bronze Age Europe