Minos

Minos

his justice approved even by the gods; became one of the three judges of the dead. [Gk. Myth.: Zimmerman, 168]

See: Justice

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Minos

scrupulous king and lawgiver of Crete. [Gk. Myth.: Wheeler, 244]

See: Lawgiving

Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Minos

 

legendary king of Cnossus, on the island of Crete.

Numerous myths are linked to the name of Minos. Greek tradition regards Minos as the son of Zeus and Europa and credits him as the author of Crete’s first laws and founder of its maritime supremacy (thalassocracy). Archaeological excavations on Crete have yielded some evidence that would connect myths about Minos with the island’s history during the 17th to 15th centuries B.C. In contemporary historiography, ancient Cretan history is customarily divided into three Minoan periods.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.