| The Age of the Palaces. The middle-Minoic era | | | | Achaeans were just like the Cretans excellent |
| was the time of prosperity for Crete. Cities | | | | tradesmen. Their pottery was found in Sicily, |
| started to develop in the period between 2200 | | | | Rhodes, Cyprus, Italy, Asia Minor, northern Syria |
| and 1450 BC, but they were huger blocks of | | | | and Milete. In some of these places their influence |
| palaces like the Syrians built them, rather than | | | | seems so strong that it is not unlikely that they |
| conglomerations of private houses. Examples of | | | | had permanent strongholds there. However, they |
| these palaces are Cnossus, Phaistos and Hagia | | | | could not enter Asia Minor very far as the Hittites |
| Triada. The palace of Cnossus was spread out | | | | were still too strong. That is the reason why their |
| over two hectares, and counted so many rooms | | | | colonization, if we can even speak of colonization, |
| that it formed the basis for the famous myth | | | | was very limited. Both nations also shared the |
| about the labyrinth of the Minotaur. It seems that | | | | same form of government monarchy. The |
| Crete has been a collection of local kingdoms, | | | | Cretan and Mycenaean monarchies were based |
| mostly subsidiary to the dominating Cnossus | | | | on a widespread feudal system of lords with a |
| where the profits of the ruler were collected, | | | | strongly centralized and bureaucratic |
| managed and distributed. Remarkable are the | | | | palace-economy. |
| huge storerooms with the big pots from products | | | | The End of the Minoic Civilization. Around 1500 |
| like corn, wine and olive oil. | | | | Thera was hit by and earthquake. The western |
| The Late Helladic and Minoic Periods. Since 1700 | | | | half of the island was the top of a volcano, which |
| BC the Achaeans became more and more | | | | exploded and completely destroyed most of the |
| influenced by Crete. Out of this interaction | | | | island. The results were noticeable in a large part |
| between the Cretan and Helladic cultures | | | | of the Mediterranean; the whole Aegean area was |
| developed a Mycenaean palace culture, which was | | | | hit by a huge tsunami. The Cretan fleet probably |
| initially dependent on Cretan models. This new | | | | was destroyed for the biggest part. The rain of |
| culture was named after the powerful city of | | | | volcanic ashes covered Crete in a grey layer of |
| Mycenae, the city of the legendary Agamemnon | | | | 10 centimeters thick, and had a catastrophic |
| who was one of the leaders of the expedition | | | | effect on the crop for many years. Because of |
| against Troy. Soon Mycenae, with its palace on a | | | | this, and more reasons, many believe that Crete |
| fortified acrois, surrounded by cyclopean walls and | | | | was the legendary Atlantis. Fifty years later Crete |
| its marvelous Gate of Lions, became the | | | | was struck by another disaster. Everywhere on |
| dominating power in the Peloponesse. This period | | | | the island, the palaces went up in flames. Only |
| is different from the middle Helladic one, not only | | | | Cnossus was saved. The only logical explanation |
| because a sudden explosion of wealth took place, | | | | for this is that the Achaeans from Hellas had |
| but also because throughout Hellas palaces were | | | | attacked Crete for unknown reasons, and settled |
| built. These palaces had a more logical ground plan | | | | themselves down in Cnossus. The explosion of |
| than the ones on Crete, and they were in fact | | | | Thera had decreased the strength of Crete so |
| huge fortifications unlike the palaces on Crete. The | | | | much that they did not find much resistance. This |
| most famous Greek palace of this period was | | | | theory gets more convincing as you know that |
| found at Mycenae, but other palaces were found | | | | Cnossus is the only place outside Hellas where |
| in Pylos, Thebe, Athens and Iolkos. Another | | | | Linear-B tablets were found. We do not know for |
| difference with the Minoic culture was that the | | | | how long the Achaeans controlled Crete, but |
| Achaeans developed their own script. It was called | | | | somewhere around 1400 BC Cnossus got |
| Linear-B, and was based on the Cretan Linear-A | | | | destroyed. The destructions were so spread out |
| script, but it eventually became a script on its | | | | over the island that it seems most likely that |
| own. Linear-B is a syllable-script, and the language | | | | Crete was not attached by a foreign force, but |
| was Greek. The linear-B tablets which were found | | | | that a revolt against the Mycenaean rules had |
| do not tell us much about life in the palaces as it | | | | taken place. Whatever the reason might have |
| was just like Linear-A only used for accountancy. | | | | been, this was the end of the Minoic culture. |
| Of course there were also resemblances. The | | | | |