The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-16
The aiehitz nsi1u gaale aa1ednesdau rorina au

| and in the Odyssey of Homer the Cretans
seem to be the only Greek people who
competed with the Phoenicians for con-
troll of the sea The natural position OF
| the island home may have been the cause
OF this.
In the discovery OF the palace Of Minos.
on the Isle of Crete lies the confirmation,
| not Of all the legends, but OF the basis
upon which much OF them was construct
ed. The personality Of Minos is taken out
Of the realm OF myth into that OF history,
and what has hitherto been called the pre-
| historic or pre-Honeric period OF Greciaa
culture begins 20 toom up as Of tremenG-
Gus historical importance The excava-
tors have found in Crete remains OF a
| primitive age of stone implements. vases.
idols, and of a brittle, hard. handmade
pottery, not painted or vanished. but
often highly polished by hand. with piedc-
| ings for suspension by cord, and, when
not plain, bearing incised rectilinear or
spiral ornaments.
! In a second period, following this stone
age, there is a great advance in build
ing with squared and unsquared stones.
Great Notifications and many chambersd
residences, with ornaments in stucco and
paintings on pottery, bronze implements.
and many other metals. but not iron. are
also found. and written symbols appear
/ for the first time. The dead are buried
in chamber tombs.
| The explorers have also unearthed sew
eral ancient Cretan labyrinths. one OF
which, its size and situation, is believed
to be that Of the Minotaur.
| 1t has not yet been decided whence the
primitive Aegean or Greek peoples came
but the reading of the strange dierogly-
phics helps US 10 understand the deriva-
ton of this nation. Some hold with con-
SIDERABLE persistence that the pre-Ho-
meric alphabet points TO Assyria as It's
birthplace. while others suggest Egypt as
the controlling influence. The photographs
from Crete which Mr.. Evans has brought
TO light are most interesting evidences
of the ancient character of this script.
Mr. 7vans tells of finding one of the Oldest
continuous inscriptions IN the great cave
of Psyche on Mount Lasethi, the tabled
birthplace of Cretan Zeus, and undoubt-
eddy the seat of a very ancient cult.
This is what Mr.. Evans says of the in
scription: II found 1t to be dark steatits
frabment, bearing an inscription clearly
cut in characters about an inch high. ar
ranged in a single line, belonging 10 the
same Mycenaean script as that of the seal
stones and Of a type representing the
linearization of originally Photographic
characters. Among the characters is OBJ
servable, in elongated form Of the four
barred symbol. part of the s-like figure
and two fsh-like signsw hich here appear
| = Lav 70 do y
regular inscription no human being will
doubt. The fragment itself appears to
form part of a kind of table OF afferings
of quadrangular form, originally proyid-
ed with four short legs and central stem.
1t is natural TO bring the steadte table
! into relation with the ancient cult Of
which this cave was once the centre in
prehistoric times, if we may judge by the
extensive deposits of figures of men and
animals both in bronze and clay. as well
as vitive double axes and weapons, None
of these remains belong to the classic
period
| In uncovering the palace of Minos Mr..
Evans has nearly followed the valuable
clews found by him some vars ago. and II
| is more than possible that IN the beehive
tombs he will find the very labyrinth in
which Theseuus fought with the 8lino-
| taur.
Legend has It that Minos was the son
of Zeus and Europa After zeus had de-
parted for the upper regions, Europa mar
ried Asterion. who brought up Minos and
his two brothers as his own children, and
at his death left Crete to Minos.
Minos was married to PasiDhae, who
bore him the sons Catreus. Deucalion,
| Glaucus and Andregeos. besides sevedal
| daughters, OF whom the most celebrated
are Ariadne and Phaedra- In order to
vindicate his right to the crown, Minos
| besought Poseidon. the sea god. to send
him bull out Of the sea, which he was
| then TO sacrifice 10 that god. Poseidon
granted his prayer, but Minos was in
! duced by the beauty of the animal 90
place it among his own herds. AS the
caused Pasiphae. wife Of Minos. 20 give
birth to the Minotaur. This was a mon
| confined in the labyrinth that had been
made by the skill of Daedlus. the first
| artist. This is the legend. and it is prob
able that behind it lies the fact of some
! strange, freakish creature, having been
born to the wife of Minos. and that this
! creature was shut I'D in some under
ground cavern so as to shield the royal
| parents from disgrace
The fod Of the monster. according to
the legend. consisted OF human beings,
some Of whom were criminals, and others
youths an1 maidens sent as tribute from
subjugated countries.
1t is at this point that the history of
Crete has bearing upon and connection
with the history c: Greece proper. An
! dregeos, the son Of Minos, had been
| treacherously slain by the Athenians and
| Megareans. Mlnos undertook a war OF
revenge against Mergara and conqutred
| il through the treachery Of the King
daughter CcyIla. who became enanored
Of MinOs. and cut of from her fathers
head the purple lock on which his life
! depended. After having taken Megara.
Min0s marched against Athens and COM
PEELED the vsnquished Atheuians to expi-
ate the blood Of his son by sending every
eight years seven youths and seven maid
ems Il be devoured b the Ainotaur.
/ There were waiting and mourning on the
occasion on which the ships sailed with
! this CHASTITY tribute 20 the King of crete.
| but when the third was preparing TO SAL
the famous hero Theseus arrived al Ath-
enz.
Theseus IS vel known az the national
hero OF the nouians. lust Is Hercules Is