Map of Crete, 3000 BCE

Ancient Greek Mythology, Religion, Art

« Back to Last Page | Photos: Mythology, Religion, Art in Minoan Crete »

Crete possessed an excellent strategic location in more than one sense. Militarily it was surrounded on all sides by war, providing its people with a natural defense unavailable to the other major civilizations in the region like Egypt. Perhaps because of this the cities built here were not constructed with the same massive fortifications that can be found with so many other cities of the same era.

The same Mediterranean that provided the Cretans with protections also provided them with a means to wealth, power, and influence: commerce. Crete was strategically located between Egypt, the Greek mainland, and Asian Minor. From here they could participate in the major trade routes with all three and even establish new ones reaching westward toward Sicily.

Rather than conquerors who built large armies and advanced the development of weapons technology, the Cretans were commercial traders who built what might have been the regions first merchant marine fleet, advancing the technologies of seafaring, harbor building, and commercial transactions. Evidence suggests that the Cretan ships were far superior to anything else in the Mediterranean at the time, allowing them to sail more safely and with more cargo than the ships of other civilizations.

« Back to Last Page | Photos: Mythology, Religion, Art in Crete »