ABSTRACT
Minoan civilization has been highly romanticized since the discovery of Knossos by Sir Arthur Evans at the turn of the century. Evans’ romantic interpretation of the site has persisted with little change since its inception (Renfrew 1972; Muhly 1990). To Evans, the delicate frescoes of Minoan art depicting peaceful images of women and nature signified a society that was tranquil in ideology and action. This idea was buttressed by what he interpreted as a lack of arsenal artifacts, defensive walls, or recognizable evidence of hostilities in the ruins of Knossos and other sites on Crete. Weapons and walls have since been discovered, along with other more disturbing aspects of Minoan culture, but the idea of a “Pax Minoica” continues in the literature (as in Castledon 1990).
