Download Crete Western Civilization

Minoan Crete
The Beginnings
Of
Western
Civilization
Agenda
• Today:
– Answer the Bell-ringer
– Who are the Minoans anyway?
– Story of the Minotaur
– Word Wall
Bell-ringer
• Where is Crete on a political map?
• Try to define the following:
– Western Civilization:
– Minotaur:
(Break into groups)
Crete
Western Civilization
• It is: The modern culture of Europe and
North America
– It is what makes us unique from the
rest of the world
• Minotaur: Half Bull/Half Man mythical
figure
*The Minoans
• An ancient civilization on the island of
Crete
• The birthplace of
Western Civilization
Social
• The Minoans were very advanced
• They made unique pottery
• They were polytheistic
Political/Economics
• They had a King and royal court
• Their capital was Knossos
• Question: Being an island can anyone
guess what kind of economy they would
have?
Economical
• They were a sea trading country
• They grew many crops and domesticated
bees as well
• They were a major stopping point across
the Mediterranean sea
* Please read the story
silently by yourself
The Minotaur
Terms and Definitions
• Poseidon:
• Labyrinth:
• Athens:
Moral of the Story
•
Athens
Clue:
in Greek
English translation of the word “clew” – “ball of yarn”
Minoan culture ends
• At some point near
1400 BC the Minoans
disappear
• We do not know what
happened to them
• We do know that they
were heavily
influenced by the
Greeks near the end
• They may have taken
them over
*The story of Icarus
• http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=YvrjaxN
mf24
• Can you tell the moral
of this story
The Greeks
The Greeks create much
of the history we know
today
They created much of
the architecture we still
use and our government
Mythology
• A collection of myths
– A made up story
with a moral
• Famous Greek Myths
–
–
–
–
Birth of Zeus
Heracles
The Minotaur
Icarus
• The Greeks, who are
around during and
after the Minoans tell
A LOT of Mythology
*Homework
• Create your own myth
• You must have a moral and at least two
fictional characters
• One page – 16 sentences or more (2
paragraphs)
The Titans and Olympians
Titans
• Cronus was their leader
– Father of Zeus
Olympians
• Zeus was their leader
– Son of Cronus
• They ruled the world
according to the Greeks
• They ruled after they
defeated the Titans
• Overthrown by the
Olympians
• Celebrated as the “Gods”
in Greek culture