Sir Arthur Evans discovered the Palace of Knossos (Fig. 1) when looking for the legendary labyrinth of King Minos on the Island of Crete. According to the myth, King Minos had a complex labyrinth built to house the Minotaur, a monstrous creature his wife gave birth to. The palace’s construction was a maze of rooms with no logical set up and led Evans to think the palace itself was most likely the labyrinth. The myth states, every year seven girls and seven boys of a young age were chosen as tribute to enter the labyrinth.1 The myth of the labyrinth in connection with the Palace of Knossos can be linked to a right of passage or a coming of age ritual in Ancient Greece. The tributes entered, wrestled with their thoughts and finally emerged as adults ready to take their places in society. The Palace of Knossos located on the island of Crete, a few miles from the city of Herakleion covers many acres. Sir Arthur Evans is typically credited with the …show more content…
When looking at the architectural plans of the palace there appears to be no logical order to its arrangement. With no central axis, the rooms seem as if they were placed in random spots making the navigation of the palace confusing. The maze-like design of the complex (Fig. 7) lead Evans to think the palace complex was the labyrinth. When examining the ground floor of the palace, Evans discovered a meander pattern decorating the floor. The pattern only ran in one direction, towards the center of the palace. The center was an open courtyard where the ritual sport of bull leaping most likely took place. The myth states that the battle of Theseus and the Minotaur took place in the center of the Labyrinth, making a connection the central court of Minos’ palace. “The labyrinth, whose linear form is the meander [pattern], represents a difficult passage; it was confusing [and] hard to follow… but eventually lead back to the
Courage comes in many shapes and sizes, however; when combined with self sacrifice it is truly displays a heroes noble character. Among them, Theseus reigns supreme, always putting himself in harms way to for his fellow countrymen. Theseus’ is a forgotten Prince who is traveling to Athens to rekindle his fathers’ love. However, his family wants him to travel the safe route, yet Theseus has others ideas.“But Theseus refused to go by water because the voyage was safe and easy…The journey was long and hazardous because of the bandits that beset the road. He killed them all, however; he left not one alive to trouble future travelers” (209). Theseus risks his own life for the safety and wellbeing of others to rid the passage of bandits. Despite the obvious dangers he lays his life down so others can live. King Minos regularly picks tributes for his Minotaurs inescapable labyrinth. Theseus unhesitatingly offers himself as one of the tributes. “At once Theseus came forward and offered to be
Five miles off the northern coast of the island of Crete, located between two streams, is the capital of the Minoan empire Cnossos (sometimes spelled Knossos). The Minoans built two palaces in Knossos. The First was built around the beginning of the Middle Minoan period (2000-1580 BCE). This palace was made of “isolated structures built around a rectangular court.” This palace was destroyed in 1720 BCE by an earthquake. After it was destroyed a second grandeur palace was built. It “measured some 750 square meters in area.” This palace had administrative and ceremonial quarters and a basement for storing “wheat, oil, and treasure.” After 1400 BCE the second Palace was destroyed by fire. During its existence the Palace served as the political
From 1910 to 1945, Koreans demonstrated their resistance against the Japanese through the Korean Independence Movement when Japan colonized Korea. Weakened by earlier Chinese occupance, Korea was already in a state turmoil. Heroic people such as Yun Bong-Gil and Yu Gwan Sun stood up for their country and culture. It took Korea almost 30 more years to gain their independence, but under their leadership, they proved the success of their determination and patriotism. Despite the eventually liberation of Korea, the Japanese occupation proved to be devastating to the Korean tradition and culture. Yet, the occupation had also been incredibly helpful to the Japanese economy which was under the rule of Hideki
Knossos was excavated by Arthur Evans in 1900. The archaeological evidence suggests that it was first built around 2000 BC. Additionally, it also suggests that it was destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt around 1700 BC. On the eastern side of the complex, the palace had four storeys; On the western side of the complex, the palace had three storeys. Additionally, it had a massive central court and storage areas. Knossos is an important site because it tells us about the economic, political and social features of Minoan society. Arthur Evans incorrectly believed that Minos lived at Knossos.
The Minotaur, meaning Minos bull, was “a monster of dire appearance, having the body of a powerful man and the head of a bull” (Seltman 98). Against his newfound father’s request, Theseus leaves Athens in hopes of returning victorious against the bull-headed beast. In a heroic fashion, Theseus leaps over the next step in Campbell’s hero journey and never refuses his call to adventure. The next step to any hero’s journey is an encounter with a super natural aid, but Theseus’ story takes a moral mentor to gather resources needed for the rest of his journey (Robertson 269). Theseus encounters his unlikely mentor upon arriving to Crete; Minos daughter, Ariadne, instructs Theseus to take a ball of linen with him into the labyrinth in order to trace back his steps after defeating the Minotaur (Martin 129). Crossing the threshold, Theseus ties one end of his ball of linen to the front door and journeys into the unconquerable maze and towards the beast (129). Theseus passes through his first trial of navigating the labyrinth inwards with ease straight into danger. Walking
The Minotaur, half man half bull, lived in Crete. Trapped in a labyrinth, constructed by the great Daedalus, the king of Crete, King Minos, demanded a tribute of seven boys and seven girls from Athens to satisfy the Minotaur’s savage hunger. But one year, Minos was deceived, for a new hero arose, Theseus, son of Aegeus, Prince of Athens. He won over the heart of Minos’s daughter, Ariadne, and used her ball of string to venture into the labyrinth to slay the Minotaur. After a hard-fought grapple within the lair of the minotaur, the beast fell to the sword of Aegeus, which Theseus had smuggled into the maze. Using the string, he found his way back out. The Labyrinth went underground, void of life, never to be seen again.
One afternoon Theseus was in his room when a little note was slid under his door and it told him to go down to the courtyard the crack of dawn and so he did. It was princess Ariadne who was going to help him defeat the Minotaur, she gave him a magical string that would help find his way through the labryrinth, the giant maze made by Daedalus and a sword. The next morning they were going into the labryrinth. As soon as they were in, it was dark and wet with bones all around. Theseus told one of the Athenian children to hold one end of the string when he set off. Once Theseus was deep into the maze he heard a rumble and he knew that was Minotaur. He ran in to the Minotaur with sword at hand it gave out a big groan. Theseus cut through it a couple more times to make sure it was dead. With a sigh of relief he walked back. At the entrance Ariadne was waiting to open the door to let them out. When the Athenians got out and quickly got a ship to sail back, but Theseus forgot to fly white sails so once King Aegean of Athens through himself off a cliff because he thought his son had died. After his death they named the sea after him, the Aegean
We jumped out from the shadows that concealed us just as the Minotaur hit the wall making it shudder. The tunnels echoed with a boom like thunder. The beast turned to us, his eyes wild and filled with anger as we plunged into the darkness of the Labyrinth once again. We ran down the corridor, our footsteps resonating on the hard floor, the Minotaur right behind us. I could hear his laboured breathing which could only mean he was getting closer. We bolted into the tunnel on the left, trying to lose the Minotaur who was hunting us like prey, when the maze began to shift.
The place where the tomb is built is mentioned in Homer's The Odyssey when Homer discussed Nestor's Palace. Pylos was also a kingdom in Mycenaean Greece. Pylos has been inhibited since the Neolithic
of Theseus and more specifically the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur in the labyrinth. The
A Black Figure Amphora attributed to the Antimenes painter (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) of c. 520 B.C. portrays a composite view of mythological scene between the fight of Theseus slaying a Minotaur, an anthropomorphic figure based on a half human, half bull creature that “devoured young Athenians.” According to the description of the work, “the monster lived in a labyrinth which was designed by a clever inventor Daedulus” who is standing on the left side, next to the Minotaur. Another viewer, on the right side, next to Theseus, is the Princess Ariadne “who helped Theseus escape the maze by following a ball of thread.” In reverse to that, the divine hero, Hercules is driving a chariot while holding a spear, facing him is a woman with curly
Forbidden love, hidden guilt, mischievous characters, and stringent religious beliefs are strong themes in the Puritan community. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, a young wife restarts her life, without her older husband, in Boston. Eventually she falls in love with a man, and they conceive a child together. However since she’s already married the conception is labeled as Adultery. For her sin, Hester must wear a Scarlet Letter on her chest, for all to see that she is an Adulterer. In an unfortunate turn of events, her husband returns, determined to take revenge on her lover. Now she not only must keep her lover’s identity a secret, but her husband's identity as well.
While some people might say that stem cell research is immoral and unethical, others believe that it is a magical solution for almost any problem, thus leading to a very controversial issue. Scientists have been searching for years for ways to eradicate incurable diseases and perform other medical procedures that yesterday's technology would not fix. With the rapidly arising, positive research on stem cell technology, the potential that exists to restore any deficiency is in the same way, likely to destroy humanity. America is suffering from its inability to choose who holds precedence over this issue. Too many of us find it impossible to reach a basis for which our differing opinions can be shared and formed into a universal and
In the book The Castle of Otranto the people of the castle are surrounded by unexplainable events. These events are in most cases damaging to one’s own mind. Those who are seen as great and loving are turn in to violent and unpredictable individuals. Those who were affected include the highest level of nobility, down as far as to the simple servant. While denial is shown by them there is no doubt that they have changed, and only in disastrous ways. Weather the person has good intentions or not they are changed and their intention becomes what they do. A corrupt power which cannot be stopped. People may try to help and form the person to their former self but in The Castle of Otranto this is not the case. When people react to unexplained
The Roman Colosseum, a colossal amphitheater, was built in the first century under Flavian's rule. Many events such as gladiator games, beast fights, naval battles, and much more took place inside the huge elliptical arena. People of all ages and classes attended these well-known spectacles. The Colosseum is a huge Roman architectural achievement and the fact that it is still standing today only amplifies the importance of this structure. Hundred of thousands of people attended the ancient games, and even more continue to visit the arena today.