Customer Reviews

The Minotaur's Island

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an excellent dvd and Hughes is easy to listen to. My only qualms are that I wish she had done more to link Minoan religion with the Neolithic Near East and I also have a problem with people being so full of angst about the idea that the Minoans might have had a dark side. We've become so enamored with Evans' "Happy Hippies" that we seem to have trouble looking at the real picture. The Minoans didn't get where they were by being pushovers...so they must have had some sort of military...God knows they were well known for making weapons and armor. Also, why is the idea that they might have practiced human sacrifice so startling? Who didn't at some time in the Bronze Age? Child sacrifice and ritualistic cannibalism weren't uncommon and its not like there is evidence that either were widespread on Crete. When one considers the Death Pits of Ur there is more startling evidence of human sacrifice in Sumer, yet no one bats an eyelash about it. Hey, the Minoans were people of their time.

"The Minotaur's Island" is a British television documentary, made by and for the British Broadcasting 4 station. As presented by Bettany Hughes, a highly attractive, educated young Englishwoman who wears her accomplishments lightly, it is a stimulating look at the ancient history of Crete, an island at the crossroads of the Aegean Sea. The program gives us the sum of current knowledge of the Minoan civilization and its legendary monster, the Minotaur. This was a creature half-man, half-bull, hidden/imprisoned, according to ancient myth,in a labyrinth devised by ancient wise man Daedalus, whom Hughes calls "The Mr. Fix-It of the Bronze Age." This bloodthirsty monster was supposedly a menace to all travelers, until it was killed by the adventurer Theseus, with the aid of Ariadne, King Minos's daughter.

The Minoan, believed to be Europe's first civilization, began 5,000 years ago, according to Hughes: 1500 years before Greece's Parthenon was built, 1,000 years before Greece's great poet Homer was born. Then the Minoan civilization disappeared in fire and violence; all trace of it was lost. It receded into myth, until, in 1871, famed German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann began excavating in Crete. He would be followed in 1900 by Englishman Arthur Evans, and American Harriet Boyd.

Hughes travels the island, from Knossos to Mochlos, tracing archaeological finds from 1900 through today, seeking hints about the Minoans' social and political lives. (Mind you, as befits a well-brought up young woman, she speaks softly, and she's talking ancient history: subtitles would be welcome.) At any rate, Hughes takes us down a Minoan road, the first road built by Europeans, still standing; and summarizes the evidence that the Minoans indulged in human sacrifice. She wonders: why and how did this ancient people build such huge,magnificent palaces, equipped even with hinged doors, and flush toilets? Who sat on the elaborately-carved throne that Evans discovered? What role did the daring, acrobatic bull-leapers, whose exploits survive in the civilization's excavated art, play in the people's life? What doomed this aggregation of accomplished artisans and architects? Was it fire, flood, foreign invader, religious war?

The London-born Hughes, the child of actors, discovered an interest in classical history at the age of four, after watching a documentary on the ancient King Tutankhamen of Egypt. As a teenager, she learned Latin and Greek. She won a scholarship to St. Hilda's College, Oxford. Upon graduation, she was offered a fellowship at Britain's highly esteemed Victoria and Albert Museum, but instead chose a research grant that allowed her to travel through the Balkans and Asia Minor, examining ancient public spectacles and amusements. She's written articles, and published a book, Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore, in 2005. She wrote and presented a radio series on medieval history. And, of course, she has written and presented numerous popular TV documentaries for the BBC, PBS, and the Discovery Channel. Among the best known: The Spartans; Helen of Troy; When the Moors Ruled in Europe; and Athens: Dawn of Democracy. This vital young woman, who seems always to have been bound for glory herself, is also the mother of two young daughters, Sorrel and May.

The Minotaur's Island offers an enjoyable way to acquire an overview of Minoan civilization and its fall. The very articulate and photogenic Bettany Hughes obviously has a passion for ancient civilizations, and her dramatic narration makes her enthusiasm contagious. Visually, the documentary focuses on archeological finds, from pottery and statuettes all the way up to the colossal palace which was unearthed at Knossos. These artifacts, along with surviving paintings, suggested to early 20th century explorers and scholars that this had been a surprisingly free and modern-seeming society compared to the rigid hierarchies of the eastern Mediterranean, such as Egypt. But it turned out that these scholars had been lured by the grace and refinement of the Minoans' artistic abilities into projecting too much of modern European culture onto them. Later we are shown that subsequent discoveries revealed a darker side to Minoan civilization more in keeping with what is known of other early cultures, in that human sacrifice was evidently a part of their religious practice. Ms. Hughes explores the evidence for the cult of the Mother Goddess playing a central role in this culture, and shares some of her thoughts on the possibly darker, pagan aspects of Minoan belief. There is discussion of the influence of other regions upon the Minoans, particularly the Egyptians and Greeks. The latter part of the program is devoted to an examination of the fall of this culture, presenting evidence that it was caused by a combination of natural disasters and a destructive religious civil war which was prompted by the failure of the deities to prevent those disasters. I thought it was a plus for the documentary that that there were very few reenactments by modern actors, a device that often winds up lending an air of hokiness to the presentation. When the camera isn't focused on artifacts or archeological digs, we are given some magnificent views of the island scenery, with Ms. Hughes rambling about by motor scooter, boat, or foot. Though there is overall a very pleasant atmosphere, it is also a solid and professionally delivered presentation. In my experience, this is probably about as good as it gets for documentaries about ancient civilizations.

"Roman Invasion of Britain" was the first Bettany Hughes DVD I viewed. It was so delightful, entertaining, and educational that I'm obtaining more of her DVD work. She is well credentialed as a British historian and her sterling delivery comes from her parental acting background. Excellence rubs off in being sharp, expressive, and captivating in front of a camera. She's photogenic plus, and while speaking on deserted Crete beaches, is tantalizing enough to create her own myth.

"The MINOTAAUR'S ISLAND" is two 49 minute segments providing a satisfying overview of the Bronze Age architectural, artifact, and archeological data of the civilization who lived 5000 years ago and who ended up with the name Minoans. Much of the latest understanding and evidence began being unearthed about 100 years ago. But many questions remain unanswered, as the narrator frequently injects. No subtitles are available, and a bio of the narrator is the only bonus. It's still worth buying, and Hughes wonderful British accent is easily understood.

1: INTO THE LABYRINTH--Hughes guides viewers and helps speculate on the Greek myths, using artifacts and archaeological digs, plus other scholars. Tantalizing clues give new insight into this lost ancient people. Craftsmanship & sophistication prove there was a society more advanced than previously believed. See the throne of King Minos at Knossos.
Malia seems an architectural duplication to Knossos. Other sites are built for the more common, likely fishermen, farmers, and skilled artisans. Greeks seem to be involved the final stages of the group; a finding of Linear B text after the code was broken. But there is a previous written language unsolved, Linear A. What could it tell us?

2: A TROUBLED ISLAND--Mochlos needed bronze (copper & tin) and took to the sea toward Egypt. Were Minoans a NW extension of the Middle East? They produced a rich, desirable purple color in texture, coveted by the world. But Crete was earthquake territory. Palaces were rebuilt and vineyard villas added. Preserved wine process tell a story but conjecture is yet needed.
About 1450 BC came the great burning--not by accident. Why?
Thera erupted 1627-1600 BC. Mochlos tsunami was 100 ft high. Then killing dust.
1200 BC is the end. With no exact known cause. The final chapter is speculative.

Truly fascinating and fun learning. It may inspire you to dig deeper, since this is just an overview of what can be found on this, Europe's first civilization. Better than a Crete travelogue.

Bettany Hughes does an excellent job on this video. I learned quite a bit and went to this video only knowing that Minoan civilization was bronze age, were located on the modern Island of Crete, and over 3700 years old. However, I had no idea of how advanced the Minoan civilization was at the time of its demise.

Bettany does a very good job of narration. The best of her videos is The Spartans. However, in this series Bettany perfects her technique of showing the island, describing the culture, exploring the ruins and some of the rebuilt buildings, showing the pottery and exports of the time. I found it quite surprising that the Minoans are mentioned by the Egyptians as major trading partners. Also, Bettany make the case that the Minoan exports were high end items. Exotic purple dies, high end pottery, and better quality goods were chief exports of the Minoans. Note some of the Minoan drinking "cups" would look excellent if they were new and fit well with a modern house.

This video is done much better than the latter Helen of Troy. Also, it's much better than the very dry Athens: Dawn of Democracy.

The viewer will be pleasantly surprised over the sheer number of Minoan artifacts. Indeed, one gets the impression there are far more Minoan artifacts than the somewhat rare Spartan artifacts of 500 years later. Also, the viewer is treated to what a typical villa had looked in the Minoan times. They were quite nice and would be a pleasure to live in modern times(provided there are no earth quakes). What really surprised me was the toilet. I didn't think those were invented until the 17th Century for Queen Elizabeth. It would be better to live in the BCE 1750 Minoan era than 15th Century Germany.

Bettany does have to "tame" down some of the possible racy parts for TV; the woman dominated religious class went around bare breasted. The ancients were not at to be affected by modern prudery and it's a little of a let down that she engages in light censorship. Conversely, I was rather surprised the Minoans did engage in human sacrifice. A delightful surprise was the Minoans were known as bull leapers. Bettany shows this culture as vibrant and active as the much later Spartans.

Bettany explains the new science of archeology for the viewer. This gives the ground work for the discovery of the Minoan civilization and its demise. What surprised me was the discussion of two forms of writing: Linear A and Linear B. Linear B is later translated to be a very early Greek language. Linear A might be the actual language of the Minoans but no way has been discovered to decipher it. So, we have no way of knowing how they talked. Conversely, Greek is well documented and the Linear B writings give us insight into the fall of the Minoan civilization.

I knocked off a star because this video speculates on the fall of the Minoans. When the Island of Thera blows up in c. 1600 BCE it may not have been the volcanic ash that destroyed the Minoans. Volcanic ash from that time frame is only one centimeter, about a 1/3 of an inch. This video was made in 2003 before the effects of Tsumani waves were shown in the Pacific. The waves from Thera may have totally destroyed all the Minoans coastal cities. That gave an open door for an invasion by the war-like Miceans Greeks. But Bettany's crop failure speculation might not be as true as the loss of all the shipping ports in the space of a day due to Tsumani waves from Thera.

So, of my 4 videos on the ancients, this is my second favorite. The Spartans is still the best. But this is the video in which Bettany hits her stride. It is quite worth your time, money, and will make a valuable addition to a lover of history library. I will be getting Bettany's other videos and reviewing them.

Like Dr. Norman Friedman of U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History, Brittany is an expert in her field. It would be quite an honor to meet her. May she continue producing her informantive videos of the ancient world. I shall collect her series.

This is another terrific piece of work by my favorite historian, Bettany Hughes and her capable team. The title misleads in that this is really a good overview of Minoan history and it's attendant culture. The "legend" of the Minotaur is covered fully, but is really a tangential anecdote to illustrate a greater point. The basic thrust is this, Greek Mythology has long been considered as the product of active imaginations among the ancients in a world full of what were at the time unanswerable questions, but Mrs. Hughes' contention is that many of these tales have solid foundation in Minoan history. Not to the letter per say (there probably wasn't a half man half bull monster, but there are several elobarate labyrinths that have been excavated very near the spot the creature was alleged to have dwelt and there is ample evidence that child sacrifice was practiced). In any event, The Greeks cut the template for Western Civilization and the Minoans were the model that they used. That deserves further attention by all history students or even buffs like me. And as always, Bettany's command of the facts and her ability to express them with style and enthusiasm makes it an even more compelling and rewarding sojourn. Amazing images of Crete and the rest of the Agean decorate and inform like a first rate travelogue. I recommend that be you student or simple buff like myself, you should begin your inquiries on the subject of Minoan civilization here. Bravo Mrs. Hughes, you've done it again!!

Hosted by historian Bettany Hughes, The Minotaur's Island is an amazing documentary on DVD about Europe's first civilization, Crete. The Minoans had a thriving culture nearly five thousand years ago, more than two millennia before Homer created "The Iliad". Then their civilization died, leaving behind little record. Archaeologists continue to discover new wonders that bring insight into Minoan culture - magnificent palaces, hinged doors, flush toilets, painted designs of acrobatic individuals leaping over bulls, and much more. Did Minoan society meet its doom from natural disasters, foreign invaders, religious strife, or a perfect storm combination of factors? The Minotaur's Island explore the many clues to the daily life and final end of this amazing ancient civilization. Highly recommended. 98 minutes, color, full screen.

I've redone my review with pictures on a blog of mine Jacob Bronowski "Scientific Humanism".

I'll post the link in the comments.

Factually accurate as far as it goes, this rather monotonous documentary misses its potential. Well produced, it falls short on specifics, coherence, and artifacts. The camera is always on the host, Bettany Hughes, making her the focus of the documentary rather than the fascinating archaeological finds of Crete.

I've been reading several works on the Aegean Bronze Age, and perhaps this has lead to my disappointment. If I was a complete newcomer to the field, I might have found this more fascinating.

I have never seen it. I haqve seen other Bettany Hughes history series on Australia's public TV network, the ABC and they are all great *****.

I was surprised to find out that I cannot view the DVD because it is region specific. So what a waste of money. This has never been the case before with DVD's purchased from the US. I have assumed that if "released" the region specific thing was not an issue. This series is years old - why the embargo still?