Crete
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
"Several names are used for this civilization, “Aegean” being the most inclusive. It is frequently called “Minoan,” after its most famous king and most brilliant age, though strictly speaking the term is anachronistic if used before 1500 b.c. At present there seems to be a tendency to apply “Cretan” or “Minoan” to that aspect of the civilization which definitely belongs to the island of Crete, “Helladic” to that of the mainland, and “Cycladic” to that of the islands. " --Gardner's Art Through the Ages (1926) by Helen Gardner |
![In Greek mythology, the Minotaur was a creature that was half-man and half bull. It dwelt in the Labyrinth, which was an elaborate maze constructed by King Minos of Crete and designed by the architect Daedalus to hold the Minotaur. The Minotaur was eventually killed by Theseus. Illustration: The Minotaur (1885) by George Frederic Watts](/images/thumb/200px-The_Minotaur.jpg)
Illustration: The Minotaur (1885) by George Frederic Watts
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Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits (such as its own poetry, and music). Crete was the centre of the Minoan civilization, the earliest civilization in Europe, comprising the first palaces in Europe.
See also
- Minoan frescoes depicting dolphins in Queen's Megaron at Knossos
- Cretan dialect
- List of Greek islands
- List of novels set in Crete
- List of rulers of Crete
- Mantinades
- Music of Crete