Labyrinth built for the Minotaur, from the reverse of a drachm of Knossos / 300-270 BCE (Hellenistic Greece)
The area of Messara is the largest plain of the island of Krete. The symbol of the region is inspired by the coins of Knossos, which bear a labyrinth on the reverse, referencing the famous Kretan Minotaur myth.
The minotaur was half-human, half-bull. King Minos of Krete made the mistake of sacrificing a bull, and thus angered Poseidon. The god then instilled "passion" for the bull into Minos' wife, who later gave birth to the minotaur.
The minotaur was kept in the labyrinth built by Daidalos. On a regular basis, fourteen young men and women were given to the beast in tribute, until the hero Theseus killed him.
Herakles standing right, holding club overhead and preparing to strike the Kretan bull, which he holds by a horn. From the obverse of a dildrachm from Selinos / 455-440 BCE (Classical Greece)
The seventh labor of Herakles was to kill a great bull that had destroyed crops and property in Krete.
Herakles went to King Minos of Krete, who gave him permission to get rid of the bull. Herakles managed to capture the beast, suppressing it with his hands, but he ultimately didn't kill it. Instead, he shipped the bull to Eurystheas so he could confirm that the labor was successful, and then the animal was released.
Koulourai of Malia Palace / 1800-1700 BCE (Minoan period)
Koulourai are large, stone-walled pits that can be found in a number of major sites in Krete, including Knossos, Malia, and Phaistos. All of them were constructed around 1850-1750 BCE.
While the exact purpose of the koulourai is still debated, there are three prominent theories as to what they were used for. Arthur Evans believed they functioned as refuse or garbage pits. Conversely, Chapouthier and Pernier theorized that they were used as ancient cisterns. However, this theory is flawed since kouroulai did not have the same waterproofing as other Knossian structures of the time.
The most widely accepted theory is that koulourai were used to store grain. This assumption gains even more ground when paired with the theory that Minoan palaces were not palaces at all, but massive agricultural redistribution centers.
Fisherman, holding a fishing rod, seated on rock with a basket nearby, scene from the reverse of a bronze coin from Carteia (Iberia) / After 44 BCE (Roman period)
In the "History of Animals" by Aristotle, he provides a guide to the species present in the Mediterranean: 105 fish, twenty-four shells, twenty-four marine or crustacean animals, and five cetaceans and amphibious animals.
Philosophers and moralists had little regard for fishermen. Plato deemed the activity unworthy of a well-born man. But there was solidarity between sailors, and the specificity of the trade was important enough to even become a Literary theme; it's known that Aischylos had written a piece entitled "Diktyoulkoi" (Net-Haulers), and Menander wrote a piece called "The Fishermen".
These authors were much more interested in the psychology of the fisherman than the real sociology of the profession. A fisherman is often alone, practicing his profession all year long. He has to be intelligent and cunning, but he also must be lucky.
Fishing scene from a red-slip bowl showing fishermen pulling a net, and fishes and a hippocamp around the boat / c. 400 CE (Roman period)
Navigation on the Mediterranean was difficult. Most sailing depended on the winds, and was done in the summer. The storm season started in late September or early October, and ended in late February or early March. During these months, navigation was highly dangerous. In addition, the nature of the currents made certain areas dangerous. The sea monsters Charybdis and Skylla in "The Odyssey" would be the pictorial representation of the strong current of the Strait of Messina that separates the western tip of the south of Magna Graecia with Sicily.
There were several methods of fishing in ancient Greece. Plato and Oppian discussed fishing with nets, laces, baskets, hooks or tridents, and angling. t was also possible to fish for mollusks, shellfish, crustaceans, and fish thrown from the sea to the shores.
In some cases, the fish was caught by hand, like in octopus fishing. Fishing could also be done with lanterns—as fish were attracted to the light source—or could simply be "picked" during sleep.
There were also more unusual methods, such as the smell fishery where fish were attracted with foul food, excrement, or salted octopus. There was also the method of "poisoning fishing", where plants like hellebore or conia were used to catch fish and octopus.
Inspired by The Art of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, by Kate Lewis, with courtesy from Titan Books.
(Behind the scenes)
The seventh biome of the game, the Hero explores the underwater world of the Aegean Sea looking for treasure and artifacts. The sea teems with all manner of life including dangerous sharks and beautiful corals. "By exploring the depths of the ocean the player can choose to take a dive amongst long forgotten ruins. Here they can take on fights with deadly sharks as they search for hidden treasures," adds Benjamin Hall. Featuring shipwrecks, ruins and remnants of ancient civilizations as shown in these concept arts by Hugo Puzzuoli, this biome is just as diverse and intricate as the rest.
