This civilization was one of the first and most important cultures in Greece. The island of Crete is one of the largest in Greece, strategically located on the sea lanes between Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. This culture developed in 2000 BC this pre-Hellenic civilization, was also known as Cretan, Aegean or Minoan. This last name is due to King Minos, a legendary king who built the splendor of that nation.
When Crete was founded, beautiful and fabulous palaces began to be built, finely decorated and without being walled. It was from these temples that the kings of the island ruled. Some of these buildings were those of Festos, Cnossos, Hagia-Triada and Mallia.
The Cretans used to live in city-states, meaning that each city was ruled by a king. The inhabitants of these cities lived together in total harmony, organized their cultural events, practiced trade, etc. One of the most outstanding urban centers was that of Cnossos.
The Cretan citizens were very good merchants, due to the fact that the nautical had a great growth. Its commercial activity was more than all the neighboring towns of the Aegean sea, their boats always benefited by the wind and to get to the Delta of the Nile river only took 3 days sailing. This allowed them to establish a cultural exchange with the people of Egypt.
In addition to navigation, the Cretan people also dedicated themselves to livestock and agriculture, which allowed them to grow commercially. Thanks to the fact that they dominated the routes of the eastern Mediterranean, they traded wine, oil, ceramic objects, woolen cloths, being their most important commercial points: Cyprus, Egypt, Sicily, Asia Minor and the other peoples of Greece.
The magnificent commercial activity of the Cretans was reflected in the great advances that writing had, the same that during its beginnings was in a hieroglyphic way, very similar to that of the Egyptians. Then with the passage of time it was simplified, until it became linear and phonetic
As for religion, it had a strong oriental influence, its cult of fertility and everything related to nature was common. One of the most outstanding aspects of their religion was the veneration of the goddess of fertility. The Cretans also performed a curious but sacred ritual called the bullfighting games, whose purpose was to invoke the divine force that will bring well-being to the entire city. These games consisted of the young participants (both sexes) having to grasp the horns of a bull in an onslaught and try to roll over on its back.
