Caria and Crete in Antiquity: Cultural Interaction between Anatolia and the Aegean

by: Unwin, N.C.

A persistent tradition existed in antiquity linking Caria with the island of Crete. This central theme of regional history is mirrored in the civic mythologies, cults and toponyms of southwestern Anatolia. This book explains why by approaching this diverse body of material with a broad chronological view, taking into account both the origins of this regional narrative and its endurance. It considers the mythologies in the light of archaeologically attested contacts during the Bronze Age, exploring whether such interaction could have left a residuum in later traditions. The continued relevance of this aspect of Carian history is then considered in the light of contacts during the Classical and Hellenistic periods, with analysis of how, and in which contexts, traditions survived. The Carians were an Anatolian people; however, their integration into the mythological framework of the Greek world reveals that interaction with the Aegean was a fundamental aspect of their history.

Undertakes a comprehensive examination of the relationship between Caria and the Aegean, challenging the theoretical divide between Anatolian and Aegean cultures
Adopts a methodological approach to the study of mythology which considers both the origins and social functions of myths
Breaks down the mechanisms of cultural interaction, with an emphasis on individual agency for the transmission of cultural forms

Table of Contents
Introduction. Approaching the topic of Carian–Cretan interaction
The Carian-Cretan connection
Caria and Crete in the maritime itineraries of the Mediterranean
The Labrys and the labyrinth
Network formation and cultural exchange
Approaching Carian–Cretan interaction
1. Articulating a 'Carian' identity
'The Carians of barbarian speech'
Language and identity
Delimiting 'Caria' and the 'Carians'
2. The role of Crete in the mythologies, local histories and cults of Caria
Ancient engagement with the past
Sarpedon, Miletos and Kaunos
The 'Minoan' ports of Anatolia
The Krētinaion of Magnesia-on-the-Maeander
The Carian Kouretes
Reading mythological traditions
3. The case of Miletos: archaeology and mythology
The processes of transmission and the question of origins
Late Bronze Age Miletos
Minoan and Mycenaean contacts with Southwestern Anatolia
Western Anatolia in the Hittite sources
Caria on the interface
Miletos: continuities and innovation
4. Interaction and the reception of the Cretan connection during the hellenistic period
Tracing interaction between Caria and Crete
The Cretan decrees from Mylasa
Cretan diplomacy and Cretan piracy
Contextualising the Mylasan inscriptions
The role of the past in diplomatic discourse
5. Inscribing history at Magnesia- on- the- Maeander: Civic engagement with the past
Inscribing history
The civic context of the 'origin myth'
Shaping the past
6. A 'Cretan- Born' Zeus in Caria: Religious mobility between Caria and Crete
The evidence
Dynastic influence vs. local dynamics
The constitutional reforms at Euromos
Interaction and religious mobility
Interpreting the Carian cults of Zeus Kretagenes/ Kretagenetas
Concluding remarks
Appendix 1. I. Magnesia 17
Appendix 2. The 'Cretan Dossier' of Mylasa
References
Index.

Caria and Crete in Antiquity: Cultural Interaction between Anatolia and the Aegean

by: Unwin, N.C.

• ISBN-13: 9781316645420 / 978-1-316-64542-0
• ISBN-03: 1316645428 / 1-316-64542-8
• Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2021