Legacy of Ancient Civilizations - The People, Their Legends and Myths

On Crete the Minoan civilization reached the height of its power, influence and control of the seas. It is here where myth and history are intertwined and the story of a brilliant people is forever linked to a legend of its power, the labyrinth.

On the southern tip of Arabia the ancient kingdom of Saba owed its wealth to its strategic location between the Red Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the east. And the demand for perfumes by the people of the Mediterranean. This is the story of the legendary people who lived in ancient Arabia which prospered by producing and trading the fragrant essences of incense, myrrh and rare spices.

Santorini is famous as a whitewashed tourist's destination. Thera, was the name of the island until the 13th century AD, before the Venetians renamed the island Santorini. For archaeologists, Santorini or Thera as it was once known is not only a wonderful vacation spot of unspoiled beauty but also a fascinating location because of the discovery of two ancient cities, Thera & Akrotiri.

In modern times, Archaeologists have rediscovered the Greece of the great poet Homer, and walked in the footsteps of the heroes of his epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. Using Homer as a guide, excavations have discovered breath-taking golden marvels, and uncovered, a powerful Aegean civilization from the second millennium BC. Modern archaeology defines the Achaean as the "Myceneans."

Archaeological evidence has shown that the Phoenician civilization began to develop around 3000 BC and that it was trading with the Egyptians shortly after that. But it wasn't until about 1200 BC that the Phoenicians began to establish the great commercial empire that has made them celebrated. Their ships, equipped for both commerce and war, dominated the Mediterranean.

Though it is today a region of Turkey, the coastal area of Anatolia, or Asia Minor, was a thriving center of Greek culture in ancient times. Two cities there especially stand out, one for its connection to a work of literature, one for its connection to a work of art. The fabled city of Troy and its legendary ten-year siege by forces became the subject of Homer's Iliad.