The First Aegean Civilizations

The crowd looked on expectantly as the bull pawed the ground, then lowered its head and charged the young man directly in its path. For him, this was no suicide mission but the culmination of months of training. As the bull drew near, the athlete deftly seized it by the horns and vaulted onto its back. The bull, puzzled and frustrated, came to a sudden halt, and the athlete with one bound leaped clear, landed on his feet, and threw his arms out wide in a dramatic flourish. His hazardous feat was completed, and the crowd of onlookers—ruling elite, priests, palace officials, and ordinary townspeople—broke into applause. Behind them rose the multiple tiers of the palace of Knossos, an impressive backdrop to this scene of ritual and athletic action. The bull had once again been overcome and outwitted by human ingenuity and skill .