Crete

Crete was the largest island in the Aegean Sea, south of the Cyclades. There were many cities built at the time of the Bronze Age civilisation, especially in Cnossus (Knossos), Phaestus (Phaistos), and Mallia, where there were great palaces. The civilisation in Crete was known as the Minoan civilisation, named after the mythical ruler, Minos.

The Minoan civilisation was more advanced in technology, economy, art and culture than the society found in mainland Greece between 3000 and 1500 BC. Crete also enjoyed foreign trade with Egypt, the Phoenicians in Palestine and the Hittites in Asia Minor.

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Crete was the source of many myths, particularly about Zeus, his mistress Europa and his son Minos, as well as Daedalus, Minos' inventor.

Before the war between the Titans and the Olympians, Zeus was brought up on Crete, to hide from his father Cronus. Rhea, Zeus' mother, was angry that her husband was swallowing each of her children when each baby was born. Zeus was her baby, and to prevent Cronus from swallowing the infant, she hid Zeus in a cave at Mount Dicte. Rhea then presented Cronus with a stone wrapped in swaddling cloth, pretending it was her newborn son, which Cronus immediately swallowed. The infant Zeus was fed from the milk of the goat Amalthea. The Curetes were Cretan spirits or daimones, and were usually described and depicted as youths. The Curetes clashed their spears against their shields in their war dance, so that Zeus' cries were drowned out by their noise. See the Creation.

When Zeus abducted Europa, the daughter of King Agenor of Sidon, the amorous god brought the maiden to Crete where she was seduced and she became the mother of Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon. Europa married Asterius (or Asterion), the king of Crete and the son of Tectamus and the unnamed daughter of Cretheus.

Tectamus was the son of Dorus and grandson of Hellen. Tectamus migrated from Thessaly, and became king of Crete.

However, the myths surrounding the island mostly involved Minos. Minos married Pasiphae, daughter of the sun god Helius, and he had many children. Minos became the father of four sons, Catreus, Deucalion, Androgeus and Glaucus (Glaucos); and of four daughters, Acacallis, Xenodice, Ariadne and Phaedra.

See the House of Minos for the genealogy of Crete.

But he also offended the sea god Poseidon for refusing to sacrifice the bull (Cretan Bull) that the god had sent to the king. Poseidon caused Pasiphae to fall in love with the Cretan Bull, so that she became the mother of a monster that had a man's body but the head of a bull; the monster was called the Minotaur ("Minos' Bull"). Here, the myth of Theseus of Athens becomes entwined with that of Minos.

Beneath the myth of Minos, another player is involved with the ruler of Crete: Daedalus, the great inventor. Daedalus became involved with Pasiphae copulating with the Crete Bull that produced the Minotaur offspring ; he was the one who constructed the maze-like Labyrinth, which only he could escape. Daedalus earned Minos' displeasure when the inventor disclosed the secret of how to escape the Labyrinth to Theseus through Ariadne, daughter of Minos, resulting in his confinement in the Labyrinth. Daedalus escaped when he constructed a winged device. Minos tried to capture the fugitive inventor, but in Sicily, the daughter of Daedalus' new patron killed the king while he was taking a bath.

With Minos' death, Crete was divided between his two sons, Catreus and Deucalion. Idomeneus, son of Deucalion, was a former suitor of Helen, and he brought 80 ships to Troy. Though he was one of the oldest men, he distinguished himself in the war. Idomeneus safely returned home after the war, but he was banished by his wife Meda and her new lover Leucus.

For more detailed accounts of Europa, Minos and his descendants, I would suggest that you read the new Minoan Crete page.