Minos: Difference between revisions
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== Minos in art == |
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On Cretan coins, Minos is represented as bearded, wearing a [[diadem (personal wear)|diadem]], curly-haired, haughty and dignified, like the traditional portraits of his reputed father, Zeus. On painted vases and sarcophagus bas-reliefs he frequently occurs with Aeacus and Rhadamanthus as judges of the under-world and in connection with the Minotaur and Theseus. |
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In [[Michelangelo]]'s famous [[fresco]], [[The Last Judgment (Michelangelo)|The Last Judgment]] (located in the [[Sistine Chapel]]), Minos appears as judge of the under-world, surrounded by a crowd of devils. With a snake coiled around him, Minos watches as the damned are brought down to hell. |
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=== In poetry === |
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[[Image:Inferno Canto 5 line 4 Minos.jpg|250 px|thumb|Minos, as portrayed in Dante's ''Inferno'']] |
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In the [[Aeneid]] of [[Virgil]], Minos was the judge of those who had been given the death penalty on a false charge - Minos sits with a gigantic urn, and decides whether a soul should go to [[Elysium]] or [[Tartarus]] with the help of a silent jury. Radamanthus, his brother, is a judge at Tartarus who decides upon suitable punishments for sinners there<ref>''Aeneid'' VI, 568–572).</ref>. |
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In [[Dante]]'s ''[[The Divine Comedy]]'', Minos sits at the entrance to the second circle in the ''Inferno'', which is the beginning of proper Hell. Here, he judges the sins of each soul and assigns it to its rightful punishment by indicating the circle to which it must descend. He does this by circling his tail around his body the appropriate number of times. He can also speak, to clarify the soul's location within the circle indicated by the wrapping of his tail.<ref>''Inferno'' V, 4–24; XXVII, 124–127).</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 15:10, 25 November 2008
In Greek mythology, Minos (ancient Greek: Μίνως) was a mythical king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Hades. The Minoan civilization has been named after him. By his wife, Pasiphaë, he fathered Ariadne, Androgeus, Deucalion, Phaedra, Glaucus, Catreus, Acacallis, and many others.
Minos, along with his brothers, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon, was raised by King Asterion (or Asterius) of Crete. When Asterion died, he gave his throne to Minos, who banished Sarpedon and (according to some sources) Rhadamanthys too.
It is not clear if Minos is a name or if it was the Cretan word for "King". Scholars have noted the interesting similarity between Minos and the names of other ancient founder-kings, such as Menes of Egypt, Mannus of Germany, Manu of India, and so on. There is a name in Linear A mi-nu-te that may be related to Minos. According to La Marle's reading of Linear A (see below), we should read mwi-nu ro-ja (Minos the king) on a Linear A tablet. The royal title ro-ja is read on several documents, including on stone libation tables from the sanctuaries, where it follows the name of the main god, Asirai (the equivalent of Sanskrit Asura, and of Avestan Ahura). The name mwi-nu (Minos) is expected to mean 'ascet' as Skr. muni, and this explanation fits the legend about Minos sometimes living in caves on Crete.[1]
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like my wife
and her girlfrend
References
- ^ Hubert La Marle, Lineaire A : la premiere ecriture syllabique de Crete, Geuthner, Paris, 4 volumes, 1997-1999 (in the third volume, ch. XIV concerns kings and meetings)