The Greeks were great sailors. As the Greeks were out and about, sailing around the Mediterranean in search of food, trade, and adventure, they were also on the lookout for new places to build Greek cities. 

While sailing about, the Greeks stumbled across a tribe of people living on the island of Crete. These people, the Minoans, were a very advanced civilization for the times. They had a strong navy, which is probably why the Greeks never succeeded in colonizing the Minoan people. 

The Minoan king lived in the capital city of Knossos, in a maze of a palace with 1500 rooms! It was a gorgeous (and huge) palace. But even poor people had 4-room houses with running water for drinking and bathing, and bathrooms that flushed! 

The ancient Minoans did have a written language. But what has told us a great deal about these ancient people are the paintings on the walls of the palace at Knossos. The walls were painted with pictures of starfish and water scenes. Some walls were painted with pictures of young people, both boys and girls, jumping over bulls. Scholars believed that must have been the big sport on Crete - bull jumping. 

Around 1700 BCE, an earthquake hit Crete. Much of the Minoan civilization was destroyed. The Minoans rebuilt. Around 1500 BCE, a volcano erupted on ancient Crete. Tidal waves followed the eruption. This time, the Minoan people disappeared.

The Minoans 

Theseus and the Minotaur (Minoan myth)

The Simple Maze - can you find your way out? 

The Difficult Maze - bet you can't find your way out! 

Palace of Knossos & King Minos  

 Minoan Civilization

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