Monday, February 13, 2012

38. The Minoans

Born of Mediterranean mists and waves
Were the Cretan men
As strong as Ocean herself.
They braved the seas
Building their empire of trade
Among landlocked barbarians.
Sailing across the world
To make peace with natives of distant lands
Trading their ceramic wares.
They grew powerful.
They grew wealthy.
Their great king was looked upon with envy
By those marble people.
Even the gods gave him gifts.
Poseidon’s was a special one
It came with special instructions
But the king in his hubris and greed
Took his gift too lightly
So the bullheaded man was born.
That monster was locked away
With the maze’s own creator.
On his journey to the land of marble people years later
The king’s son accepted a challenge
To hunt a fabled boar.
The king got mad when his boy never returned.
So he sent armies
Demanding maidens and young men as tribute.
For nine years
Minos was the scourge of Athens
For nine years
The many wives and fathers cried
When their precious sons and daughters
Were ripped from their side.
Then a man came
Just and true.
The hero prince Thesseus
Knew what he had to do.
He boarded the ship posing as a youth
Sailing to his heroic fate.
After the bullhead was slain he returned
Was made king
Because of his father’s accidental death
The people of Minos on the other hand
With the sea god’s help
Were replaced by the people of marble.

No comments:

Post a Comment