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Cnossus

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Ancient Minoan palace-city in Crete, legendary seat of King Minos and site of the labyrinth housing the Minotaur. Center of Bronze Age civilization and mythological tradition.

Detailed Definition
Cnossus (Knossos) is famed as the seat of King Minos, the Labyrinth, and the Minotaur. It symbolizes Cretan power and mythic complexity. Poets reference Cnossus to evoke labyrinthine psychology, royal justice, and the interplay of civilization and monstrosity in epic and symbolic verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Cnossus (Knossos), Minoan capital and site of the Labyrinth, appears in Ovid and Virgil; Poets invoke Cnossus for labyrinthine complexity or royal decadence; “Cnossian maze” symbolizes psychological or moral confusion; In Catullus, it evokes Ariadne’s abandonment; The city links myth (Minotaur) and historical grandeur.
Additional Notes
Cnossus (Knossos) is the legendary seat of King Minos, site of the Labyrinth and Minotaur myth. It anchors Crete’s mythic identity as a center of law (Minos as lawgiver) and monstrosity. Homer references it in the Odyssey; later poets use it to evoke mazes, hidden violence, or the duality of civilization and savagery—key for allegorical readings of the labyrinth as psyche or society.
Also Known As
Knossos
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