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I have been reading a lot about Knossos of Crete recently, and especially interpretations of the myth of Theseus.
I like the stories where these people were actual humans, that the 'Minotaur' was just a vicious, sociopath general and Ariadne was the daughter of the king and a priestess who didn't like what was going on and made a change the only way she knew how. Religious guilt didn't sway the king, he just disobeyed Poseidon. He let a serial killing monster at these kids because he was vengeful at the loss of his own. He had the power to force Athens to do this because he could have them destroyed at this point in time and they knew it. Somehow I believe this story.
THE PICTURE:
She's looking around to make sure she isn't seen, the teen is probably a slave who isn't treated well and can look forward to probably being sacrificed the next natural disaster that takes place. No problem betraying secrets to her. She is giving an art piece because those things were prolific in Bronze Age Crete. Maybe it contains coins, maybe it can be traded or sold.
I like the stories where these people were actual humans, that the 'Minotaur' was just a vicious, sociopath general and Ariadne was the daughter of the king and a priestess who didn't like what was going on and made a change the only way she knew how. Religious guilt didn't sway the king, he just disobeyed Poseidon. He let a serial killing monster at these kids because he was vengeful at the loss of his own. He had the power to force Athens to do this because he could have them destroyed at this point in time and they knew it. Somehow I believe this story.
THE PICTURE:
She's looking around to make sure she isn't seen, the teen is probably a slave who isn't treated well and can look forward to probably being sacrificed the next natural disaster that takes place. No problem betraying secrets to her. She is giving an art piece because those things were prolific in Bronze Age Crete. Maybe it contains coins, maybe it can be traded or sold.
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Comments11
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I think that's it's also within the realm of possibility that "the minotaur" was a priest, perhaps a prince-as-priest, but, at the very least, a figure of the religious cult who would, dressed as a man with a bull's head, execute the Athenians. The story could also be extrapolated from the sport of "bull leaping," which was probably more than sport and carried religious significance (as I'm sure you know, frescoes of bull leaping have been uncovered at Knossos). The mythological Theseus could have become conflated with an Athenian hero who, as an expert leaper of bulls, gained his freedom by royal decree, popular acclaim, or as a prize for a princess and a political plus for Minos. A far less romantic story could be that Theseus, as prince of Athens, was sent with a shipload of fellow Athenian soldiers who harassed the Minoans and terrorized their countryside, perhaps reaching the confines of the capitol where Theseus killed a Minoan bull of great religious significance. In order to end the hostilities, Minos could have forgiven the Athenians of their debt of tribute and offered his daughter as a gesture of political sincerity. Ariadne likely loved him very much, but the philandering Theseus threw her over once he met Hippolyta.
As you can see, I am a hopeless romantic.
In addition to his adventure with Ariadne, Theseus was known to have killed and sacrificed bulls during other adventures. Bulls were most likely a not uncommon animal to sacrifice: they would have been highly valuable and would have signified the inferred wealth of those who sacrificed him, power, strength, and virility. The southern Mediterranean fascination with sacrificing bulls, of course, was incorporated into Mithraism (which competed with Christianity to become the official religion of the Roman Empire). Mithraism's largest following was with the members of the Roman military, many of whom would have been granted lands to settle on the Iberian peninsula, a place where bullfighting and associated activities are still found today.
This is a great image, by the way. Her expression is carefully nuanced by a number of emotions, her distraction and anxiety are conveyed quite well by her body language, and she's also quite attractive — always a plus.
As you can see, I am a hopeless romantic.
In addition to his adventure with Ariadne, Theseus was known to have killed and sacrificed bulls during other adventures. Bulls were most likely a not uncommon animal to sacrifice: they would have been highly valuable and would have signified the inferred wealth of those who sacrificed him, power, strength, and virility. The southern Mediterranean fascination with sacrificing bulls, of course, was incorporated into Mithraism (which competed with Christianity to become the official religion of the Roman Empire). Mithraism's largest following was with the members of the Roman military, many of whom would have been granted lands to settle on the Iberian peninsula, a place where bullfighting and associated activities are still found today.
This is a great image, by the way. Her expression is carefully nuanced by a number of emotions, her distraction and anxiety are conveyed quite well by her body language, and she's also quite attractive — always a plus.