Maze of Crete (The Mystery of the Origin of Greek and Roman Mythology)

Author: (British) MacKenzie, translated by Yu Yingbo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: A myth proven by reality, a pre-Greek civilization that disappeared suddenly, like Atlantis and Pompeii. The mystery of the origin of Greek and Roman mythology: In 1900, the ruins of the labyrinth on Crete were rediscovered! It was a super-large palace as mysterious as the pyramids. Later, archaeologists unearthed human bones that had been eaten, all of which had a close connection to the man-eating Minotaur hidden deep in the labyrinth mentioned in Greek mythology. Was it a myth or a terrifying historical legend? What role did Crete play in the enigmatic civilization of ancient Greece? This is a mythological legend from Greece: Long ago, a son of King Minos on Crete was killed in Athens. Enraged, the king demanded that King Aegeus of Athens sign a shocking treaty: Athens must send seven pairs of young men and girls to Crete every year as food for a man-eating Minotaur. It was said that this monster was the offspring of the queen and a bull. To hide his shame, the king ordered the construction of a massive and complex palace with double marks, hiding the Minotaur deep within. Fearing the power of Crete, Athens paid the tribute on time, causing immense sorrow among its people. During the third tribute, Prince Theseus, determined to pacify the people and eliminate the monster, bravely declared himself a young man to go to Crete. The handsome and young Athenian prince won the affection of the daughter of King Minos, giving her a magic sword and a ball of thread. The clever and brave Theseus, upon entering the labyrinth, tied one end of the ball of thread to the entrance and released it, walking along the winding and complex corridors toward the depths of the labyrinth. In the end, he finally found the Minotaur. He grabbed the Minotaur's horns and, with the sword given by the princess, fiercely killed the Minotaur, rescued the children who had been offered as tribute, and escaped from Crete. This beautiful myth deeply fascinates archaeologists. In 1900, British archaeologists Evans and others unearthed the ruins of a palace on Crete. It covered about two hectares, with hundreds of rooms connected by winding corridors, its structure so complex that it was rare. The double marks were also found in the labyrinth, and scholars unanimously believed it was the Double Palace of the Minos Kingdom. But was the act of cannibalism real? In a small room of the palace, archaeologists discovered thousands of clay tablets inscribed with writing, one of which clearly read, "Seven women from Athens were brought as tribute, along with one boy and one girl." This reminded people of the story of the Minotaur, sparking speculation. Surprisingly, in the spring of 1980, British archaeologists announced in Athens that they had unearthed over 200 fragmented human bones in a bronze-age house on Crete, belonging to eight to eleven teenagers aged ten to fifteen, their skeletons showing marks of being slaughtered. So, what advantage did Crete have that allowed it to hold such an important position in Greek civilization? The research of archaeologists has filled in this brilliant page of Crete in human history.