Faction overview: Minos
| Faction | Overview | Interactions | Trivia |
Administration and politics
Council of citizens
In accordance with classical politics revived after Sargonian colonization, Minos practices an Athenian democracy which is a direct democracy involving every citizen and senator. Each Minoan city-state is governed by a Boule (Βουλή; plu.: Boulai, Βουλαί) which is headquartered in the temple of the Minoan hero cult. The Boulai are led by a priesthood or Hiereus (Ἱερεύς; plu. Hiereis, Ἱερεῖς; fem. sing.: Hiereia, Ἱέρειᾰ) who served as senators or elders for the Boulai in pronouncing final decisions. The site where the council is held called is often called a Bouleuterion (Βουλευτήριον; plural: Bouleuteria, Βουλευτήρια).[1]
As per the tradition, the Minoan Boulai are open to every citizen to participate regardless of social status. The priests frequently conduct a meeting in the Boule by inviting every citizen to take part of it, be it general affairs or affairs of state. A consensus will only be made through a simple majority, and every citizen has to agree with the final consensus. Because of their constant meetings, Minoans are known for their eagerness in discussing political matters which they see as an integral part of their culture.[1]
Military
The Minoan Army (Στρᾰτός τοῦ Μῑ́νωος) basically inherits the former Sargonian system during the colonial era albeit changing the names in their ranks. The priesthood is given the job to both recruit soldiers and maintain the army, and a priest is oftentimes also a commander-in-chief of the army. Aside from full-time recruits under the priesthood, there are self-organized defense forces such as city guards and village militias to both enforce laws and defend their settlements.[2]
As part of the tradition, the Minoan military conducts drills with other city-states to maintain their diplomacy, and representatives of foreign nations except Sargon are sometimes invited to join the drills.[2] Some of these drills eventually become ceremonial sports games such as Hymnoi Wisdom.
Administrative divisions
Minos has been divided into three major city-states or polis (πόλις; plu.: poleis, πόλεις) since its foundation. These are namely Athenus, Corinia, and Lachedamon:
- Athenus (Ἀθηναΐς) is the capital of Minos which is both its political heart and the cultural center. The Athenites are famous for their ardent hero veneration who regard them as sages and poets. As a matter of fact, Athenius is viewed as the "spiritual garden of Minos."[3] The capital is also the headquarters of the Hall of the Twelve Heroes where they worship the heroic Twelve Heroes who repealed the Sargonian invasion.
- Corinia (Κορινία) is the Minoan economic hub where business and trades flourish. The heroes worshiped by the Corinians are guardians of trade, fertility, and travel.[3] Corinia is also famous for its advancement in other fields from arts, science, and military studies; it is even believed that the earliest cultivation of crops on Terra originated from Corinia after merchants brought the Corinian seeds to spread across the continent.[4] Nevertheless, Corinia has long been infamous for its debauchery and rampant corruption due to its prosperity.[5]
- Lachedamon (Λακεδαμων) is the Minoan military outpost where most of their soldiers are stationed. Hence, it is regarded as "the sacred ground of warriors." The Lachedamonian heroes are composed of warriors and prominent military leaders.[3]
Within the three major city-states are several nomadic cities and towns governed by their respective jurisdiction. Each Minoan city is divided into more than ten districts and a special administrative zone led by the priesthood. Citizens of each district have to elect a sheriff whose job is to both handle civil affairs and conduct religious ceremonies on behalf of their citizens.[1]
Geography
Minos has an alpine climate with a montane ecosystem, occasional rainfall, and major rivers originating from melting glaciers. The valleys where most of the Minoan settlements are located are temperate flatlands with fertile soil that is necessary for its agricultural activities. Minos is also some of the regions on Terra that are rarely hit by Catastrophes; in fact, the three Minoan city-states remain unharmed from natural disasters throughout Minoan history.[6]
The Minoan Range (Μινωικός Οροσειρά), the mountain range where Minos is located, is in the southern part of the Terran central range that forms the neighboring Kjeragian range. Although it has a moderate elevation compared with the plateaus of Kjerag, it has more rugged mountains. Among these mountains, there are three notable mountains both geographically and culturally:[6]
- Mount Heria (ο Ήρία), the tallest mountain in Minos. In Minoan legend, the site was where the Twelve Heroes of Hymnoi received revelation before descending to save the Minoans from Sargonian colonization.[7]
- Mount Hymnoi (ο Ύμνος), the second tallest mountain in Minos. This mountain is the burial site of the Twelve Heroes and the avenue where Hymnoi Wisdom is held.
- Mount Athos (ο Άθω), the third tallest mountain in Minos.
The Aegean Plain (Αιγαίο Πεδιάδα) is a wet grassland that lies adjacent to the valleys of Minos. The grassland is covers with various notable rivers formed by melting mountain glaciers:
- The Agnes River (ο Ἁγνή) which flows from Mount Heria. The river marks the southernmost border between Minos and Sargon both geographically and politically; the Minoan side is covered with fertile soil while the Sargonian side gradually becomes an arid desert towards the south.[8]
- The Delphi River (ο Δελφοί) which flows from Mount Hymnoi. Because the Delphi passes through both Athenus and Corinia, it becomes a major river in Minos where most of human activities are found.[6]
- The Arachne River (ο Αράχνη), a river that flows from Mount Athos.
The southern tip of the Minoan Range is the Agamem Pass (Αγαμέμ Διάβαση). Regarded as the "doorway" to enter Minos, this mountain pass was the site where the Minoan soldiers laid siege against the invading Sargonian army in 917 after crossing River Agnes according to the records of the hero epic, Epic of Agamem.[8] The mountain pass is also believed to be the site of the mythological kingdom, the Kingdom of Agamem, which is now absorbed into Minos' jurisdiction in the present days.[9]
Economy
Minos' major economic activity is agriculture. The fertile soil of the Minoan valleys allow the Minoans to cultivate various crops as well as setting up agrarian subsidiaries such as wine refineries and textiles, and agriculture plays a major role in Minos in both religion and culture. On the other hand, Minos' agriculture was also the reason for the Sargonian invasion. During the Sargonian colonization, Minos was an important site in food production as Minos imported them as tributes to the lords.[2]
Since the Sargonian colonization and its independence, other major economic activities have been developed. Minos inherited much of the heavy industries from Sargon, but due to geographical reasons, these factories are rather scattered, though the products are usually of high quality. As part of its restoration effort, many traditional sports games originally dedicated to the temples have developed into commercialized cross-city or even international sports events to promote tourism.[2]
Demographics
The predominant race of Minos is the Forte race. The Forte of Minos are well-known for their sophisticated philosophical schools contrary to the stereotype of being just mere muscular warriors. It is believed that many well-respected philosophers through the history of Terra are of Forte origin including Phaedra, the most famous philosopher in history, who shared her wisdom to an unnamed Feline from Sargon who would then spread her knowledge across the continent.[10]
Other races could also be found in Minos, and some of them are descendants of Sargonian colonial settlers who have integrated into the Minoan society since the restoration era.
Culture
Minoan hero cult
The Minoan hero cult centers on the worship of various historical figures akin to gods who made significant legacies in history worthy to be enlisted in their pantheon, the "Hall of Heroes." The culture and society of Minos heavily center on the worship of their heroes, and many Minoan stage plays, literary works, and arts have a strong theme of praising the heroes as offshoots of the religion. To many Minoans, they believe themselves living a righteous life by simply following the heroes' teachings.[2]
The traditional Minoan viewpoint of a "hero" is usually an ordinary person with some flaws in their lives, but what makes them a "hero" is their acquired knowledge that brings growth to their personality, for they believe that man is born of both perfections and flaws without contradiction. By having a mindset of "one for all" and bravery to accept their flaws to become a better person, anyone can become a hero, and those heroes who are enlisted in the Minoan pantheon are those who make significant history that brings the greater good to the Minoans.[11]
Among various activities that venerate their heroes, the Minoans love the art of sculptures. These sculptures, or "agalma" (άγαλμα; plu. agálmata, αγάλματα) in their language, reflects their piety in their worship, and such a custom even has evolved to various competition among masons. The better and more expansive the material quality for a statue, the greater the believer's faith in their worship. Even the most sacred agálmata are made from marbles of the three highest mountains of Minos. Minoans also believe that all agálmata must be made of pure white marbles to reflect a hero's flawless lifestyle as they believe that all men are born into the world in purity like marbles, and those who are righteous will be like the white marble, stainless and strong.[12]
Because of the benevolence promoted by the hero cult, Infected in Minos are not persecuted or systematically segregated from the society as they are allowed to live normally and receive healthcare. The only restriction of the Minoan Infected is from taking the role of priesthood in the hero cult because to many Mionans, an Infected could not receive the sacred aura from the heroes, hence being automatically disqualified.[2]
Sports events
Born from both their dedication to their pantheon of heroes and military drills among the city-states as a way to promote diplomacy via peace, Minos has a tradition of holding sports events, whether big or small, in their Halls of Heroes across cities and villages. These events were temporarily suspended for more than a century during Sargonian colonization, and they were later reopened after Minos' independence. Since then, these sports events have turned into commercial events that welcome anyone to participate, be it local or foreign, and the sports in these events can be varied from restored traditional sports, sports that are well-preserved by Minoan immigrants in Rim Billiton, or new types of sports from foreign countries.
The Hymnoi Wisdom is a sports event held at the foot of Mount Hymnoi, the burial site of the Twelve Heroes. Entering the modern age, this traditional drill among the city-states that was meant as a military exercise against Sargon has become a commercial contest run by unofficial organizations after local military outposts have undergone renovations and refurbishments. The contest is run by private organizations without government's interference, and a committee is formed by private security companies participating in the ceremony instead of the Minoan Army to ensure it will be held regularly outside of Mount Hymnoi.[13]
The Hymnic Games, alternately known as the Warriors' Gathering, is a major sports event held in the Hall of the Twelve Heroes in Athenius with a very long history. The goal of this Game is to promote body-building and physical training as well as cultivating a proactive mindset to the populace. Due to this size, the Hymnic Games is very popular among the Minoans in which various talented athletes from all across the country participate in the ceremony in the capital. In recent years, even new competitions are added to the Game to gain more popularity.[14]
References
|