Who Were The Minoans?

🎬 Watch early & support the channel on Patreon: Patreon: ParaBellumHistoryChannel Or become a member on youtube: @parabellumhistorychannel to unlock early access to new videos. Music from our videos: https://share.epidemicsound.com/xk7k4... Visit our website: https://parabellumhistory.com Our merchandise store: https://parabellumstore.creator-sprin... 🎧 Listen to our podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OdtsiT... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/85d... The Minoans: Europe’s First Civilization Discover the extraordinary story of the Minoan civilization — the first advanced society on European soil. Long before the rise of Classical Greece or the Roman Empire, the Minoans flourished on the island of Crete, mastering the seas, building sprawling palace complexes, and developing a rich artistic and religious culture that left a lasting legacy across the ancient Mediterranean. In this in-depth documentary, we explore the full arc of Minoan history — from their mysterious origins and seafaring dominance to their unmatched art, writing systems like Linear A, and the stunning architecture of Knossos, Phaistos, Zakros, and Malia. We delve into their advanced technologies, matriarchal religious beliefs, and their fateful encounter with one of the most powerful natural disasters in human history: the Thera (Santorini) volcanic eruption. But who were the Minoans, really? Were they ruled by kings like the legendary King Minos, or were they governed by priestesses and queens? Why did their civilization collapse? And how did the Mycenaeans, the first Greeks, come to dominate Crete and absorb its culture? 🔎 What you'll learn in this video: The strategic geography of Crete and its role in ancient trade The four periods of Minoan history: Prepalatial, Protopalatial, Neopalatial, Postpalatial The significance of Minoan palaces as religious, political, and economic hubs Trade networks with Egypt, Anatolia, the Levant, and Cyclades Minoan art and fresco painting, bull-leaping rituals, and goddess worship The mystery of the Phaistos Disk and the undeciphered Linear A script The Thera eruption and its devastating aftermath The rise of the Mycenaeans and the fall of Minoan dominance 📌 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:14 The Geography of Crete 03:22 Minoan Origins and Genetics 07:45 Agriculture and Early Society 11:12 Maritime Trade and Expansion 15:05 Rise of the Palaces 20:20 Minoan Art and Technology 22:32 Linear A and Minoan Writing 20:42 Minoan Religion and Mythology 20:49 The Thera Eruption 21:15 Mycenaean Invasion and Collapse 22:20 Legacy and Conclusion 🧠 Perfect for: Students of ancient history or archaeology Fans of Greek mythology and Bronze Age civilizations Viewers interested in lost civilizations, ancient scripts, and Mediterranean trade Anyone who has ever wondered who ruled the Aegean before the Greeks 💬 Tell us in the comments: Do you think the Minoans were ruled by kings or queens? What do you think Linear A might say? 🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell to support Para Bellum and never miss a deep dive into ancient history! #MinoanCivilization #AncientCrete #Knossos #LinearA #TheraEruption #BronzeAgeCollapse #AncientHistoryDocumentary #Mycenaeans #LostCivilizations #ParaBellumHistory Bibliography 1. Betancourt, Philip P. The History of Minoan Pottery. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985. 2. Castleden, Rodney. Minoans: Life in Bronze Age Crete. London: Routledge, 1990. 3. Chadwick, John. The Decipherment of Linear B. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1958. 4. Fitton, J. Leslie. Minoans. London: British Museum Press, 2002. 5. Marinatos, Nanno. Minoan Religion: Ritual, Image, and Symbol. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1993. 6. Schoep, Ilse. “The Administration of Neopalatial Crete: A Critical Assessment of the Linear A Tablets and Their Role in the Political Economy of the Second Palace Period.” American Journal of Archaeology 110, no. 2 (2006): 161–200. 7. Warren, Peter, and Vronwy Hankey. Aegean Bronze Age Chronology. Bristol: Bristol Classical Press, 1989. 8. Wiener, Malcolm H. “The Interaction of Climate and Society in the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean: Causes and Consequences.” Antiquity 93, no. 367 (2019): 573–586. 9. Wright, James C. “The Mycenaean Takeover of Knossos: Comparing Archaeological, Textual and Iconographic Evidence.” The Annual of the British School at Athens 98 (2003): 231–250. 🎤 ⁠Voiceover by: Nick Banas Instagram: Instagram: nickbanas