DHA
15,2
1969
33-62
THE MINOAN HAREM :
THE ROLE OF EMINENT WOMEN
AND THE KNOSSOS FRESCOES *
Nanno MARINATOS Swedish Institute at Athens
Introduction
The Frescoes from the palace of Knossos have attracted much attention since their discovery by Sir Arthur Evans. He himself opened a path for exciting interpretations of the various fragments, a path that has been followed for practically two generations.
What has generally been missing is the attempt to detect a program, a unified theme or set of themes that would betray the ideology of the rulers who commissioned the paintings *. Granted the difficulty that the frescoes have survived only in fragments, and that they are not all contemporary, such an attempt might throw light not only on the meaning of the paintings themselves, but on the rulership of Minoan Crete.
* Abbreviations : FMP : The Function of Minoan Palaces, R. Hâgg, N. Marinatos, eds. (Stockholm 1987) Kr Chron : Kretika Chronika Evans, PM : A. J. Evans, The Palace of Minos at Knossos, I-IV (London 1912-1936). 1. For the questions of the "patrons" of the paintings see R. HÁGG, in L'Iconographie minoenne, BCH, suppl. XI (Paris 1985), p. 208-217.
