Reply To: Lives of Leisure and War

[Aubri Stogsdill]

It is clear that leisure was a massive part of Minoan culture. Their palaces had sophisticated masonry with heaps of beautiful scenic paintings on the walls. They also had sanitary facilities and provisions of adequate lighting and ventilation. These are not your standard architectural norms at this time– but these people were concerned with the simple pleasures of life. Much of what they traded with other civilizations were finely crafted goods, and also during this period of time there was a tremendous amount of development in metal work and pottery. A society that did not value sophistication, luxury, and leisure, would not put such an emphasis on all of these things. The Mycenaeans on the other hand, were known as fierce warriors and great engineers. They were known for their fortified walls and bridges. The sheer level of fortification of the city shows the deep concern for safety. The Mycenaeans buried their dead with weapons, and while they also buried them with other fine jewelry, the level of care given to the ‘fine’ objects in Mycenaean culture, does not really compare to that of Minoan culture. There was also a greater emphasis of bright color in Minoan culture that is not seen in Mycenaean culture. While whole civilizations cannot be completely simplified to only luxurious or only war loving, I do believe there is evidence of a difference in values as well as cultural emphasis between these two civilizations.