Do Now

Get out your MINDS Homework and Prince of Egypt paragraph and study for the quiz!!

The Minoans & the Phoenicians

Do Now: Within your row, make with the Play Doh® the island of Crete, a Minotaur, a volcano, a snail, a boat, a cedar tree, and the letter A.

The Minoans

From the island of Crete (off the Greek Coast) in the Aegean Sea.

Dominated trade on the Eastern Mediterranean between 2000 and 1400.

The Minotaur

King Minos was their most important leader.

He was rumored to keep a half-human, half-bull monster called the Minotaur in a labyrinth at his capital in Knossos.

A Volcano

No one is certain of the final end of the Minoans, but in 1470 B.C. a volcanic explosion on the neighboring island of Thera destroyed most of their northern coast.

Although the empire survives for 300 more years, they never fully recovered.

Why should we care about them? Have a huge influence on Greek culture

(burial customs, architecture, religion, etc.). Brought many cultures together by their

trading patterns.

Phoenician Empire

About 1100 B.C., after the decline of the Minoans, the Phoenicians become the most powerful seafaring traders.

The Snails

When certain snails were left to die and dry up, they secreted a purple dye.

Purple became a symbol of wealth (royal purple) because it was so expensive.

5,000 snails = 1 lb. of dye!

Hooked on Phoenicians

Phoenicians most important contribution was a new alphabet based on “phonetics” or sound.

The Phoenician alphabet is the first to attach letters (symbols) to sounds.

We still use the Phoenician alphabet today.