Unveiling Historical Narratives: Syllabus, Minoan Civilization, and the Nazi Propaganda Games

1. From the syllabus: In the event of an extreme personal or family emergency, what can you do about missed work? If a legit, “extreme” emergency as defined by the syllabus, a family emergency occurs during the semester, the syllabus directs the student to ask the Dean of Students if their case would qualify for a “hardship exception”. It is possible that the Dean may reject a request that is made. If this is not the case, and an exception is granted, makeup work will be assigned. The makeup assignment is a fifteenhundred-word essay, including three JSTOR pieces as evidence, in Chicago style, due in a week. Following this first makeup assignment, essays with longer durations and more evidence will be expected. 2. From the documentaries: which civilization first developed purple dye as a trade commodity? What is the evidence? The documentary, “A Troubled Island”, details how the Minoans were able to derive a purple dye from the murex, taken from mollusks that were in no short supply around Crete. Purple dye succeeded as a trade commodity because of its display of “status and wealth”. In trade ports in Crete, archaeologists have found hundreds of mollusk shells stored dating all the way back to early periods in the society’s history, even evidence that murex was stored in tight quarters in what even suggests “factory farming”. The Minoans’ ability to sustain enough murex to produce dye (which was substantial) would have been fundamental for commodifying Tyrian Purple. 3. From the documentaries: How did Minoan civilization change after the first major earthquakes destroyed the initial palaces? Minoan civilization construction was influenced by Egyptian labyrinths and other architectural features that were presented to them at the time that were deemed desirable. However, around 1700 BCE major earthquakes wreaked havoc on Crete’s original palaces. The palaces were rebuilt in around (and sometimes even less) than fifty years “bigger and better” on top of the sites of the old structures. The reconstruction also included an addition of country villas and their vineyards surrounding the palaces. 4. From the documentaries: What were the physical conditions like at the First Olympics? To say the least, the physical conditions at the first Greek Olympics were vastly different from the televised, Olympic-village, and back story filled experience we view today. The first Olympic brought in a diverse crowd from different areas spread across the Medetterian, also attracting actors and poets to entertain and document the events and victories that would take place over the five-day event. Competition days started early for athletes and spectators, much time was spent sacrificing for/ worshipping Zeus, and the conditions were crowded and at times rather dangerous. The entire games (and the yearly calendar) were based around the Sprinter’s race, where runners would compete naked and dust would fly. 5. From the documentaries: How did the Nazis attempt to use the Olympics for their own purposes? In the Olympics that were held in Berlin during the summer of 1936, the Nazi Party used the games from their own propaganda purposes and ultimately as a way to prove Hitler’s authority and legitimacy in Germany globally. Germany’s discrimination against Jewish and Gypsy populations was clear, and although some countries called for boycotts, many were unsuccessful with the United States and other countries with clout on the global stage attending the games. A side note worth mentioning, much Nazi propaganda at the games drew a comparison of Hitler’s Aryan athletes to those of the Ancient Greek games, displaying that his chosen race of Germans was superior and classical in nature/statue.