Posted on 09/30/2005 2:03:49 PM PDT by Little Bill
Statues of Ancient Goddesses Discovered By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 42 minutes ago
ATHENS, Greece - The life-sized marble statues of two ancient Greek goddesses have emerged during excavations of a 5,000-year-old town on the island of Crete, archaeologists said Friday.
The works, representing the goddesses Athena and Hera, date to between the second and fourth centuries — during the period of Roman rule in Greece — and originally decorated the Roman theater in the town of Gortyn, archaeologist Anna Micheli from the Italian School of Archaeology told The Associated Press.
"They are in very good condition," she said, adding that the statue of Athena, goddess of wisdom, was complete, while Hera — long-suffering wife of Zeus, the philandering king of gods — was headless.
"But we hope to find the head in the surrounding area," Micheli said.
Standing six feet high with their bases, the works were discovered Tuesday by a team of Italian and Greek archaeologists excavating the ruined theater of Gortyn, about 27 miles south of Iraklion in central Crete.
Micheli said the goddesses were toppled from their plinths by a powerful earthquake around A.D. 367 that destroyed the theater and much of the town.
The statues fell off the stage, and were found just in front of their original position, she said.
"This is one of the rare cases when such works are discovered in the building where they initially stood," she added.
Hopes are high that other parts of the theater's sculptural decoration will emerge during future excavations.
"Digging has stopped due to the finds, but we suspect there may be more statues in the area," she said.
Gortyn, the Roman capital of Crete, was first inhabited around 3000 B.C., and was a flourishing Minoan town between 1600-1100 B.C. It prospered during classical and Roman times, and was destroyed by an Arab invasion in A.D. 824.
Greek mythology has it that the town witnessed one of Zeus' many affairs — with the princess Europa whom the god, disguised as a bull, abducted from Lebanon. Europe was named after Europa, who conceived her first son with Zeus under a plane tree in Gortyn.
The Italian School of Archaeology has been digging at the site since the early 20th century, in cooperation with Greek state archaeologists. So far, excavations have revealed fortifications, temples, baths, a stadium and an early church of St. Titus, who preached Christianity in Gortyn.
A Plane tree?
I do know that Crete had close relations with Egypt and some say the original inhabitants came from Anatolia but don't think anyone really knows.
I personally have always thought the Ionian Greeks especially those in the Cyclades were originally from Crete. Their mixing with the Dorians is what really created what we think of as ancient Greeks. Just my idea and can't really back it up.
I have always found it fascinating and mysterious. Always loved those Cretan girls tops.
"Will someone, please explain the Bulls head in Minoan, art and its parrel in Egyptian and Anatolian art?"
Stag, Stallion, Goat, Bull- these are representations of the Male aspect of the Divine. This dates back to pre-Christian times when sex was sacred rather than profane.
The cult of Mithras (a deity popular with Roman soldiers) had rituals involving the ritual fighting and killing of a bull. This survives today as bullfighting.
Some people suggest that the multiple gods and goddesses are actually avatars- each representing an aspect of the Divine. More like the Catholic Saints, who are basically worshiped as gods and goddesses by the common folk. In some cases, the Saints are identical with their pre-Christian prececessors. Saint Bridget is a prime example, having previously been the Celtic goddess (avatar) of Poetry, Smithcraft and Healing.
There seems to be a school in Mid Eastern archeology that says that we a are all nice people. They seem to promote the Minoans as the artsy fart's peace, love tradition.
My view is that the Minoans where right down in the dirt with us, despite the art, I like to point that out.
Never thought of them as particularly brutal either.
My complaint is; what kind of society lies behind the pretty pictures.
Almost every civilization has had it in their distant past. Never recall anything about cannibalism but it has been nearly 40 years since I studied Minoan civilization.
Of course Minos wife Pasiphae having sex with a bull is about as kinky as it gets.
Also found was a restraining order against Zeus. An APB was issued soon after this find.
I read some about the Minoan civilization while we were there but I did most of my research on the village wines, rocke and Metaxia. Two of those words are misspelled but I spelled them phonetically.
If I were young and in good health, there is no place on earth I would rather visit than Crete, except maybe Scotland. I remember the movie "Moonspinners" with Haley Mills and have always thought of it as a romantic and fascinating place.
My husband and I were there and it is a wonderful place if you are single or have no small children. It's beautiful, the people are good, the food is great and it is easy and cheap to take a cruise to all the Greek isles from there. Wish I could go back.
Got it over here too: Roman Theatre Godesses Unearthed In Crete (Athena & Hera)
Haven't dug all the way down, but taur is the same root as terror. Thus taurus = bull = symbol of terror.
Wicked Witch of the Left?
Bull worship was a mainstay of Minoan culture and the children were sent into the bull ring as dancers with the bull.
From this the whole legend of the Minotaur arises.
If you accept cannibalism and human sacrifice, the Minoans were cool. The Art was out standing, wall painting naturalistic, and everything that a liberal would love.
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If you think about abortion as cannibalism and human sacrifice then you have everything the liberals love.
He actually volunteered to go with the youths to Crete where he met Ariadne, got her help and killed the Minotaur who was the offspring of Minos wife Pasiphae and a Bull.
When Theseus returned to Athens he forgot to change the black sail to white and his Father, seeing the black sail thought Theseus was dead and leaped from the cliff into the sea which became known as the Aegean from then on.
On the way home, Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the island of Naxos. She was found by the God Dionysus who married her. She was good enough for a God but not good enough for Theseus apparently.
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