The history of Crete is bonded with the Greek mythology since according to the myth this is where Zeus, the king of the gods, was born. The previous king, Saturn, fearing the loss of his throne by one of his children, he was eating every newborn. This is why his wife, Rea, escaped to Crete and specifically in the mount Diktaion Andro, to give birth to her son secretly and hide the newborn afterwards to the cave of Idaio Andro. This is where Zeus was born and raised.



Birth of Zeus

Rea went to the cave of Idaio Andro to give birth to her last child. Saturn was deceived by a stone which replaced the newborn child. As for the baby's crying, that was overlapped by the devilish noise that the Courites, famous Cretan fighters, made. Zeus grew up being taken care of the Nymphs, drinking the milk of the goat Amalthia, which later became a star and her skin became a shield to protect the god.
When he was old enough, he managed to throw his father, Saturn off the throne and take over. As for the stone that Saturn ate instead of him, Zeus placed it in the holy temple in Delphi, in order to remind to gods and humans of his glorious power.

The Family of Minoa

Most of Minoa's siblings, sons and grandsons left the palace and traveled throughout the Mediterranean as far as Ireland. A lot of new cities were founded, and most of them where named after Minoa. Different kinds of myths that relate to them are rooted in the monopoly of the Minoan fleet in the Mediterranean. These myths go back to the golden era of the Cretan civilization which was connected with the name of Minoa and lasted approximately a thousand years.


Zeus and Europe

According to the myth, Zeus fell in love with a Phoenician princess named Europe. Disguised in a white bull with a youthful body, gold horns and innocent eyes, he managed to fool the princess and her friends who were playing in the seashore. This is how he seduced her and took her away to the beautiful island of Crete. In order to prove his love to her, he gave her, as a gift, the giant Talo, who was responsible of protecting the island. The union of Zeus and Europe took place in the area of Gortyna under a tree. Another myth talks about them coming together in Diktaion Andro, where the nymphs had a bridal bed prepared for them. After that Europe gave birth to Rodamanthus, Sarpidona, and the legendary king Minoa.

Talos

He was a giant with a head of bull, made out of bronze and was given to Minoa by Zeus himself as a guard of Crete. Talos lived in the cave of Melidonio. He had a unique vein that started from his neck and ended up in his heel, where it was shut by a bronze nail. Talos went around the island three times per day with the order to protect the island from the hostile ships. He also went around the Cretan villages holding and showing off the laws of Minoa written in bronze plates. When the Sardenians invaded to the island, Talos was transformed into fire and with his flaming body, he diminished the enemy. When the Argonauts tried to approach Crete, Talos welcomed them by throwing rocks in order to destroy them. At the end he was killed by Mideia, the protector of the Argonauts by pulling the bronze nail and pouring all his blood until he died.