Chapter 9 Section 1 The Minoans Pages 151-155

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to describe what life was like for the Minoans.

2. Determine how the geography influenced the people who lived on the island of Crete and the Balkan Peninsula.

I. Introduction Sec. I The MinoansA. Greek Civilization grew out of a combination

of two earlier civilizations, Minoan and Mycenaean.

B. Due to the geography of the land both became great sea powers. They left a great legacy for the Greeks to live their life.

C. Minoans lived on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. They were also known as Cretans that grew wheat, barley, grapes, and olives. They traded very far away using surplus for goods they needed.

D. They had good forest for wood and made ships and learned metal working.

E. They made slim, fast ships to protect them from pirates. The ships had a deck over the rowers and had three mask for sails. They had a ramming pole in the prow to punch holes in other ships.

II. The People

A. The Minoans were small people with bronzed skin. Men wore striped loincloths, long robes embroidered with flowers, or trousers that bagged in the knees.

B. Women wore full skirts and short-sleeved jackets that laced up the front. They wore gold and silver jewelry.

C. Men farmed and fished and the women worked in the house but also went hunting in chariots and played sports. Minoans probably built the world’s first arena.

D. They had boxing matches and “Bull Leaping” like bull fighting. Men and women fought the bull together. The man would grab the bull by the horns, as the bull raised its head, the man would flip or somersault on the bull’s back, then back flip of the rear of the bull. The woman would catch the man as he landed. Many believed this was a religious ceremony as well as sport.

III. Cities and PlacesA. The Minoans built many cities, in the middle was a

palace rather than a temple like other cultures. They had no walls around the city, they depended on the navy ships for protection.

B. The cities had great buildings painted with frescoes (paint on wet plaster then it dries) They had bathrooms with tubs and toilets that flush, hot and cold water in the houses.

C. The Palace rooms made a labyrinth of interconnecting rooms.

D. Many houses didn’t have front doors they went in and out through roof doors using ladders.

IV. Rulers and Religion

A. The rulers were priest-kings, they made the laws and represented the gods too.

B. The Minoans had many gods, the main god was Mother earth. She made plants grow and brought children into the world.

V. The Fall of the Minoans

A. No one is certain why the Minoans civilization came to an end.

B. Around 1400 B.C. The Mycenaeans took control of the Med. Sea.

C. Legend explains the fall with a story of Theseaus and the Minotaur. Theseaus was a prince with a magic sword that killed the minotaur, and that ended the Minoans civilization.