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ā€œConstruct vast fleets of ships and build a Mediterranean trade network that will be commemorated on the vibrant frescos within your grand palaces.ā€
—Description[1]

The Minoans are a Mediterranean civilization in Age of Empires. Centered on the island of Crete in the Aegean Sea, they were a Bronze Age Indo-European people named after the mythical figure King Minos, said to have been a king of Knossos, capital and cultural, administrative, and religious center of Crete. It is known in popular culture for the myth of the Minotaur.

Characteristics[]

Civilization bonuses[]

  • Ships cost -15%/-20%/-25%/-30% in the Stone/Tool/Bronze/Iron Age.
  • Improved Bowman-line +1/+2 range in the Bronze/Iron Age.
  • Farmers work 10% faster.*

Team bonus[]

Docks cost -20%.

Missing technologies[]

Fortified Wall, Guard Tower, Urbanization, Astrology, Mysticism, Afterlife, Monotheism, Fanaticism, Zealotry

Missing units[]

Legionary, Chariot Archer, Horse Archer, Elephant Archer, Chariot, Heavy Cavalry, War Elephant, Fire Galley

Overview[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

The Minoans are strictly an aggressive civilization due to their bonuses and technology tree, but do work well defensively before the Iron Age.

Changelog[]

ReturnRome-AoEIcon Age of Empires[]

AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of Rome[]

  • Team bonus added.
  • Civilization bonus Farms have +60 food removed
  • Civilization bonus Farmers work 10% faster added.
  • With update 93001, the Improved Bowman line has +1/+2 range in the Bronze/Iron Age, respectively.
  • With update 99311, ships cost -15%/-20%/-25%/-30% in the Stone/Tool/Bronze/Iron Age.

Campaign appearances[]

The Minoans appear as AI players in:

AoE Ascent of Egypt icon Ascent of Egypt[]

NuRoR hoplite idle Glory of Greece[]

NuRoR priest idle Voices of Babylon[]

  • 8. Nineveh (original)
    • Enemy - Enemy

The Rise of Rome[]

  • 6. Mithridates
    • Romans - Ally (since the Definitive Edition)

Ave Caesar[]

AI player names[]

Names shown in italics are only used in the original game, names shown in bold are used in both the original game and its expansions.

  • Minos - Mythological king of Crete, from whom the name of Minoan civilization is derived. Brother to Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon
  • Rhadamanthys - Mythological king of Crete, brother to Sarpedon and Minos
  • Minos II - Did not exist in Minoa
  • Rhadamanthys II - Did not exist in Minoa
  • Minos III - Did not exist in Minoa
  • Rhadamanthys III - Did not exist in Minoa
  • Minos IV - Did not exist in Minoa
  • Sarpedon - Mythological king of Milyas (Lycia), brother to Minos and Rhadamantys
  • Erythrus - Son of Rhadamanthys, founder of Erythrae
  • Gortys - Son of Rhadamanthys, associated with Gortyn, Crete
  • Aiakos - Mythological king of Aegina
  • Androgeous - Son of Minos and PasiphaĆ«
  • Pasiphae - Mythological wife of Minos, daughter of Helios (the sun) and Perse (an Oceanid)
  • Aeacus - Latinized form of Aiakos

History[]

Main article: /History
ā€œ2200 to 1200 BC

Primitive agricultural communities sprang up around the Aegean Sea by 6000 BC but this area lagged behind Egypt and Mesopotamia in advancing toward civilization. For reasons not yet understood, the island-based Minoan culture made a sudden leap forward around 2000 BC and became the first civilization of Europe. The sudden take-off may have been stimulated by trading contact with Mesopotamia through Levant ports or through contact with Egypt. One theory suggests that refugees from Egypt during a time of turmoil may have emigrated to Crete and brought technology and ideas with them.
ā€
—Excerpt from the Age of Empires manual

Trivia[]

  • The civilization crest (icon) introduced in Return of Rome portrays a "figure of eight" shield which were made of ox hide and reinforced with bronze, and were used by Minoans and Mycenaean Greeks, with mentions in Homer's Iliad and surviving artworks of them.
  • The UI artwork depicts a popular fresco found in the palace of Knossos, "ladies in blue", dated to 1525ā€“1450 B.C., at Knossos, Greece.

Gallery[]

References[]

Civilizations in Age of Empires categorised by architecture set
East Asian architectureChoson AOE DE ROR icon Choson Ā· Lac Viet AOE DE ROR icon Lac Viet Ā· Shang AOE DE ROR icon Shang Ā· Yamato AOE DE ROR icon Yamato
Egyptian architectureAssyrian AOE DE ROR icon Assyrians Ā· Egyptian AOE DE ROR icon Egyptians Ā· Hittite AOE DE ROR icon Hittites
Greek architectureGreek AOE DE ROR icon Greeks Ā· Minoan AOE DE ROR icon Minoans Ā· Phoenician AOE DE ROR icon Phoenicians
Mesopotamian architectureBabylonian AOE DE ROR icon Babylonians Ā· Persian AOE DE ROR icon Persians Ā· Sumerian AOE DE ROR icon Sumerians
Roman architectureCarthaginian AOE DE ROR icon Carthaginians Ā· Macedonian AOE DE ROR icon Macedonians Ā· Palmyran AOE DE ROR icon Palmyrans Ā· Roman AOE DE ROR icon Romans
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