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.
