170 i Flora Unveiled
acolyte grasping a sacred plant (left). In the gold ring seal from Mycenae in Figure 6.19C, a
goddess sits beneath a sacred tree whose fruits resemble clusters of grapes or perhaps mul-
berries. Mulberries are dioecious, so if the tree represented is a mulberry, it would have to
be a female tree, which may have symbolic significance.^63 In her right hand she holds up
three poppy capsules by their stems, while her female attendant extends her left hand as if
to receive them.
One notable difference between Minoan and Mycenaean religions is represented by a
single reference in the Linear B tablets of Mycenae to a “Grain Mistress” (sitopotnija) among
the various deities receiving offerings. No grain goddesses are known from Crete, so this
seems to have been either a Mycenaean invention or a Near Eastern import. A fresco from
the cult center of Mycenae, dating to the thirteenth century bce, displays a woman holding
sheaves of wheat in each hand (Figure 6.20A). On her head she wears a crown or headdress,
indicative of her exalted status. A similar motif occurs on an ivory pyxis lid from Syria
dating to the same period (Figure 6.21B). This, too, depicts what appears to be a goddess
or priestess of grain. Her bared breasts and Aegean- style flounced skirt are indicative of a
Mycenaean origin, but the rampant goats are a Mesopotamian motif. Perhaps these figures
represent forerunners of Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain.
Judging from the wealth of their burials and imposing citadels fortified by cyclopean
walls, the Mycenaean elite seems to have been more inclined toward lavish displays of
wealth and power than their Minoan counterparts. Given the harsh realities of power poli-
tics, it was probably inevitable, therefore, that the balance of influence between the two
neighboring peoples eventually tilted in favor of the Mycenaeans.
The Mycenaeans may have begun their gradual dominance of Crete in the wake of a
devastating natural disaster. Around 1530 bce, the island of Thera exploded in a titanic
volcanic eruption— larger than the Krakatoa explosion of 1883. All that remained after
the blast was a circular archipelago of smaller islands (the largest of which is modern day
Santorini) surrounding the huge sunken caldera of the former volcano. Miraculously, the
city of Akrotiri not only remained intact, but, as noted earlier, it was preserved for poster-
ity by being buried under a layer of pumice and ash. The impact of the eruption was felt far
beyond Thera. Tidal waves, blackened skies, cooling temperatures, and falling ash may have
caused widespread panic and insecurity throughout Crete. Agriculture must surely have
(c)Figure 6.19 Continued