I + 9 : Were the Minoans really peaceful?

We arrived at 09.30 am at the Palace of Knossos which is indeed a complex Labyrinth

Knossos excursion today. Planned it luckily last week when it became clear that Monday and Tuesday would be high wind days again :-). At least the wind keeps temperatures in check in Heraklion. It is 30 Celsius here whilst Athens sweats under 37 Celsius.

This Artist Reconstruction of the Palace of Knossos gives you an Idea of its Complexity

Am still puzzled as to why the Minoan towns and palaces were not fortified. The standard answer is that they were a peaceful people. Their nobles did not fight due to the strong influence of matriarchal society. But if so, why did they produce so many weapons? Bows and arrows ok - they are dual purpose weapons. You can use them for hunting but also for fighting. But what about daggers and swords? Never seen a hunter using a sword to kill a deer. Same is true for sling shots. Or double-headed battle axes. Or why did the Minoans had a formidable reputation as archers?

Double-headed Minoan Bronze Battle Axes

It is definitely true that the Minoans did not fear an invasion. The opposit was the case. Their fleet reached out and projected power. None of their neighbours had anything alike. There were a few Egyptian ships in the Red Sea, the Phoenicians were no sea power yet (they would become one 1'000 years later), the Mycenaeans on the Greek mainland had ships but were landlubbers.

Minoa's Position in the Eastern Mediterranean was dominant - there was no Competition

If the Minoans did not fear an invasion, what are the many weapons for that were found in every excavation? As more archeological work was carried out over the last decades, some early ideas have to be revised. It seems that many Minoan sites had entrance gates resembling fortifications. And the maze of small streets seem to be a deliberate Minoan design to "lure in" attackers. Once inside, they could be fought from the roofs, windows and side streets. Looks like institutionalised urban guerrilla warfare.

Plan of the Palace of Knossos - the Complexity of this Structure is amazing

The Palace of Knossos is indeed a maze - even today. There are many bottlenecks which any attacker has to get through before getting to the central court - mission impossible. The narrow passages go up, down and around. The building is amazingly complex and quite disorientating. Last but not least, there were a 100'000 "defenders" living in Knossos. So, why building such a complex structure if there was no risk of violent attacks? Complexity is never cheap - the risk of organised violence must have been considerable.

Right Part of the Flotilla Fresco from Akrotiri - Looks like they raided a Hill with a Castle

Another clue can be found in Minoan frescos. Most of them depict religious ceremonies or every day life, but some look rather warlike. The Flotilla frescos from Akrotiri which we visited in 2022 is telling. A look at the second frescos makes me wonder whether it does not depict the raid on a town.

Can't remember where I found this photo - why are the Men in the upper right Corner all wearing Spears, Helmets and Shields if Minoan Society was so peaceful?

Be it as it may, i am no expert on this matter. Most historians disagree with my view. But everywhere else in the world, the stratification of society - the split of people into a noble class of rulers and priests - lead to an increase in violence. Whilst ordinary peoples' days was consumed with their toil, nobles had time for scheming and power games. You only need to read Shakespeare's King Lear to get the idea. It would be quite an exception to history if Cretans were a peace loving society. You do not need kings for peace.

The Rectangular Theatre in Knossos where the Minoan King took a seat in the top Corner

After our tour of the Palace, we left Knossos to visit an olive farm with 2'000 trees. This small farm produces a whopping 20'000 litres of olive oil. Its production figures made me jealous. Each of their trees yields 50 - 100 kg of olives. My trees in the South of France yield a paltry 5 kg only. Also, their olives to oil ratio was 5 kg a litre. We need 7 - 10 kg, depending on how wet the fall was. Our olives absorb lots of water after a dry summer. It makes them bigger and heavier but does nothing for their oil content.

The Koronekes Olive Farm in the Hills south of Heraklion

It was good though to compare notes - we make our oil the same way. Xiara, the firendly and knowledgable owner, then let us compare the quality of her verious oils: Ordinary olive oil, virgin olive oil and cold pressed olive oil. The difference in quality was amazing. We tested the fruitiness by the nose; bitterness by the mouth; spiceyness by swallowing. Who could have resisted to buy some of her oil for our chef on the boat?

Their Fleur d'Huile is ymmie - reminds me of Larmes de Chantrou

Last visit of the day was to the family owned Titakis vineyard half an hour southwest of Heraklion. Sitting in the hilly Messara Valley at the foot of Crete's central mountains, the vinery cultivates mostly indigenous grapes with names we barely recognise.

Tablet with Indigenous Grapes in the Vinery Cellar

Vidiano (white grape), Kotsifali (red grape). Covered these wines in my blog I - 172 and wanted to try them. They were familiar on the nose but unexpected on the palate. Our host Maria Titakis paired them with a delicious, mostly vegetarian lunch - we were very positively surprised. Definitely worth exploring further.

Our Wine Pairing Lunch at the Titakis Vineyard

Back on the boat we met our new chef Nikko who flew in from Italy. He is going to make his favorite Sicilian tuna dish tonight - this is better news than the weather. Winds will be super strong tomorrow. Time to adjust our plan again - we will explore Heraklion instead and visit the famous Archeological Museum of Crete.

Sunrise in Heraklion as I write this Blog - the Minoan Ferry frem Piraeus is just arriving