Evans, Arthur J.: The Palace of Minos: a comparative account of the successive stages of the early Cretan civilization as illustred by the discoveries at Knossos (Band 3): The great transitional age in the northern and eastern sections of the Palace (London, 1930)

CONJECTURAL FORM OF MINOAN ARENA 223

the intaglios—is itself a remarkable feature. How could such help at need
be forthcoming at the exact place and moment required ?

Some enlightenment as to this problem may perhaps be obtained when

Fig. 156. Diagrammatic Sketch of Acrobat's Course.

we consider the probable character of the enclosure in which these circus Probable
sports took place. The traditional practice "of Minoan architects leads us to j^tf6-
assume that the walled or fenced enclosure surrounding the course would fenced
have been of rectangular shape. The ' theatral stands ' of the fresco form closure
an alignment and show no trace of curving round an arena. If not in recta"
a line with one another they must at least have formed sides of a rectangular gu'ar.
space.

But the acrobatic sports themselves were the outcome of the ad-
venturous drives of Minoan cow-boys along the country-side, and these,
when restricted to an enclosed space, involved a round or, more probably,
elliptical course—like the arena of a Roman amphitheatre, which was
originally devised to exhibit Venationes or hunting scenes. It looks, there-
fore, as if according to the Minoan arrangement there may have been