$32.00
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Monday, May 13 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Thursday, May 9. Order within 15 hrs 47 mins
Only 7 left in stock (more on the way).
$$32.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$32.00
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Nanno Marinatos
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Minoan Kingship and the Solar Goddess: A Near Eastern Koine Paperback – August 21, 2013

by Nanno Marinatos (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$32.00","priceAmount":32.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"32","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"zPWL8LtXrySZl6OQ91SuquBngNHdc5vEpxtNagNyaCfc2tfkF2R5bqjQFrqH4iyEqxvQ8pc5fYLDyK6ORZsDn4Pna67jLkbM9ZzNH5M9pVzF3fB7sRdS3v2YfsofrN9GQ6pGhbCsKkJmr4g8WosGnw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Ancient Minoan culture has been typically viewed as an ancestor of classical Greek civilization, but this book shows that Minoan Crete was on the periphery of a powerfully dynamic cultural interchange with its neighbors. Rather than viewing Crete as the autochthonous ancestor of Greece's glory, Nanno Marinatos considers ancient Crete in the context of its powerful competitors to the east and south.

Analyzing the symbols of the Minoan theocratic system and their similarities to those of Syria, Anatolia, and Egypt, Marinatos unlocks many Minoan visual riddles and establishes what she calls a "cultural koine," or standard set of cultural assumptions, that circulated throughout the Near East and the eastern Mediterranean at the time Minoan civilization reached its peak. With more than one hundred and fifty illustrations, Minoan Kingship and the Solar Goddess delivers a comprehensive reading of Minoan art as a system of thought.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    263 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of Illinois Press
  4. Publication date
    August 21, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0252079671
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0252079672
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

Minoan Kingship and the Solar Goddess: A Near Eastern Koine
$32.00
Get it as soon as Monday, May 13
Only 7 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Minoan Crete: An Introduction
$36.99
Get it as soon as Monday, May 13
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
One of these items ships sooner than the other.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review



"An exhilarating book, breezily written with a hands-on approach to the material."--Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections


 

 



"A well-written and richly informed work, which forcefully reasserts the validity of the ways eminent scholars, going back to the early work of Sir Arthur Evans more than a century ago, thought. In many ways it is a tour de force of scholarship, embodying new insights and illuminating points of detail."--Times Literary Supplement, Colin Renfrew


"A multifaceted, innovative work that freshly interprets many aspects of the Minoan religious symbol system. Without a doubt, this book will stimulate extensive scholarly discussion."--Thomas Staubli, coauthor of Body Symbolism in the Bible

"A radical and provocative view of Minoan art, religion, and society. Marinatos provides new readings of numerous Minoan artifacts, offering solutions to many puzzles and placing the imagery within a semantic system of sacral kingship and cosmology."--Kenneth D. S. Lapatin, author of Mysteries of the Snake Goddess: Art, Desire, and the Forging of History

About the Author

Nanno Marinatos is a professor of classics at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Illinois Press; First Edition (August 21, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 263 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0252079671
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0252079672
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.08 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Nanno Marinatos

Nanno Marinatos

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
16 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Petros Koutoupis
5.0 out of 5 stars A great published research on Minoan studies...
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2011
Verified Purchase
I am sort of irritated by the review left by Barnaby Thieme primarily because it is apparent that this individual has spent little time, if any, studying Near Eastern art and iconography of the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age periods. Also it seems that the reviewer harbors some negative feelings toward Dr. Marinatos.

I will start off by stating that to date, it has been an extremely difficult task in interpreting the life and beliefs of the Minoans primarily due to a lack of decipherable texts. Our current understanding of them relies heavily on the inscriptions of foreign nations (i.e. Egypt, Ugarit, etc.) and also the much later Iron Age mythologies of ancient Greece. And early Minoan scholarship looked to the nearest neighbors (the Mycenaeans) for any identification and interpretation of the nation. This may have clouded the field of study and set it back many generations.

I believe that Dr. Marinatos took an excellent approach in re-interpreting Minoan kingship and their duties to the gods/goddesses; that is, by comparing Minoan art and iconography to that of the ancient Near East (Ugarit, Hatti, Assyria, etc.) and Egypt. The comparisons made it obvious that all the cultures shared common themes and therefore provided a much clearer interpretation of the Minoan lifestyle. As a result, I feel that she successfully met all of her objectives and I am satisfied with her results.
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
P. Strayer
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on Minoan religion and mythology
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2012
Verified Purchase
The single most valuable book on Minoan religion - based on the best available evidence - the images found on Crete and contemporary Near East and Egyptian practices.

I want to thank the author for diligently reading the images and delving into them as deeply as she has. This is a profound and exciting work, as if the world was finally being explained in a way that makes sense. This is by far her best work.

The wonder is that it has taken this long for someone to address Minoan religion in the "right" way - i.e. not trying to prove some culture-bound agenda or philosophical point of view - but just looking at the evidence that exists in both written and visual sources.

I am very happy this book is available. It is invaluable. Highly recommended.

The illustrations make the case quite clearly.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Gunar Zagars
5.0 out of 5 stars Minoan religion
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2010
Verified Purchase
Due to the fact that the Minoans left no decipherable texts we know very little about their religious beliefs. Usually the Minoans are approached from a Greek perspective, often retrofitting Greek mythology to what is presumed to have been Minoan reality. Actually the Minoans are best viewed as a north-west outpost of the Near East rather than as a south-east anlage of Europe. Marinatos presents an extraordinary tour-de-force viewing the Minoans from a Near Eastern perspective. This is the best analysis of Minoan religious beliefs that I have come across. It is not easy reading, but for anyone truly interested in the Minoans this is an essential text - there is nothing else published that comes even close. Highly recommended! Of course you may disagree with the conclusions, but surely they give something to think about!
15 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Sheri Crockett
1.0 out of 5 stars The book inside was NOT what was printed on the cover.
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
The pages inside didn't relate to the cover at all. Publisher (not Amazon) must have made a mistake! I returned it, so haven't read the actual book that was supposed to be inside.
Helpful
 Report
William R. Krapek
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly done, except...
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2018
If by "solar goddess" she means a goddess intimately - and instantly - connected with the Sun then she's right. But if she means a Sun Goddess then she's wrong. (Although she doesn't outright say that). The "Young God" is the Sun God. Actually I think he's Apollo; strictly the God of Sunlight. But that's neither here nor there. The "goddess" on Crete can be most directly compared to Hathor; who bears the Sun God between two horns. Thus the "Horns/Mountains of Consecration" are the "saddle" of the Sun. As is the spit rosette.

Regarding the 'Horns..." I think she's aptly demonstrated that they're mountains; but with a Minoan "twist." They're mountains-as-bull-horns. Which Marinatos herself demonstrates nicely on pages 116-20.

The goddess alone bears the Labrys because she's the one who splits the Sun between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. The two faces on the axe are HIS two faces. In later Greek mythology he is Helios; the PROPER Sun God. Apollo was never considered the actual Sun God in Graeco-Roman civilization. "Als" in Homer means the sea when seen from the land. Helios comes from "Alios" - the Sun emerging from the Sea/Underworld. Everything falls in line nicely from there. I believe in Minoan documentation he is the SA-RYA we see at Hagia Triada. Surya in the Rigveda. I think the ancestors of the Minoan elites streamed into Crete from the Cyclades in the latter part of the 3rd Millenia, BC, and that they spoke an Indo-European language.

As for the existence of Minoan kingship - I consider it Mission Accomplished by Dr. Marinatos. I have little doubt she's proven this. But they don't seem to have been very powerful kings; judging from the material remains. Maybe more along the lines of a Roman "rex." A "ruler" who sets cultic and weight/measure standards. They don't seem to have commanded a lot of physical labor like we see on mainland Greece and in the rest of the Middle East.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

D. Hope
5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Book
Reviewed in Canada on September 5, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book does an outstanding job of interpreting the archaeological evidence for Minoan religion in the light of our knowledge of ancient Near Eastern religion. This is a fruitful line of inquiry, because ancient Crete was a part of that cultural area, and the author's depth of knowledge, and her disciplined reasoning are very impressive. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Minoan or ancient Near Eastern religion, or in the history of religion in general.
Report
Samuel Gfeller
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating insights
Reviewed in Germany on July 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
Truly new insights regarding Minoan civilisations intimate connection to the Near East during the Bronze Age. The author is Prof. and head of classics at the Univ. of Illinois. She shows how Minoan kings can be identified, using the same criteria as scholars of Near Eastern civilisations use--but this is a sideline to web of connections between the Minoans and their neighbours across the seas.
Report
Ric
5.0 out of 5 stars Important
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
An important book - it sheds valuable light on the archaic Mediterranean cult of the sun goddess. Yes, you read that correctly, 'sun goddess', sun seen as mythologically female ;)
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Jaume
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing study
Reviewed in Spain on March 6, 2017
Verified Purchase
Incredible research on the amazing minoan culture. Interesting approach to the organization, rites and myth of this misterious and unknown culture.
Report