The myths and legends of Crete, Greece
Myths & Legends of Crete
The stunning island of Crete is a little off the beaten path compared to some of its Agean neighbors. Curious travelers are gobsmacked by its wild beauty, gorgeous beaches, and craggy mountain peaks. While its primary architecture stems from its Venetian period, it stands atop some of the most ancient ruins in Greece. No wonder Crete is home to some of the most spectacular stories in Greek mythology!
The birthplace of Zeus
Zeus, arguably the most well-known and well-regarded Greek god, is said to have been born on the island of Crete either in one of two caves - the Ideon or the Dikteon - both claim the honor. Why was Zeus born in a cave? His father, Titan Cronus, feared his children would attempt to overthrow him and take his power. To prevent this, he ate them, prompting his wife, Rhea, to flee to the caves to protect infant Zeus.
Additional fun facts:
Zeus’ symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak
He had a total of seven wives and sired 100 offspring
The abduction of Europa
Europa was a Phoenician princess (now what is modern-day Lebanon) with whom Zeus became infatuated. To abduct her, he turned himself into a white bull to blend into her father’s herd. When Europa was gathering flowers one day, she noticed the bull and began to show him affection. She eventually trusted him enough to climb on his back, prompting Zeus to flee with her into the sea and swim to Crete. In honor of their story, Zeus drew a white bull in the sky with the stars - thus creating the astrological sign Taurus.
The archeological site, Gortyn, is believed to be home to the Plane Tree, where Zeus and Europa’s relationship began on Crete. It is the largest archeological site on Crete, with over 1500 statutes, inscriptions, columns, and architectural fragments available for tourists.
Additional fun facts:
She is the eponym of Europe.
Her brother, Cadmus, brought the alphabet to mainland Greece.
The rule of King Minos and the creation of the Minotaur
King Minos was the ruler of Crete and one of three sons of Zeus and Europa. While visiting Crete, you can immerse yourself in some of Minos's settings. Travel to the archeological site of Knossos, Europe’s oldest city and the former home of King Minos and the Minotaur.
The creation story of the Minotaur begins with a plea from Minos to Poseidon. Minos intended to present Posideon with a white bull as an offering to support his rule against his brothers. Instead of proceeding with the sacrifice, Minos decided to keep the bull, prompting Posideon to curse Minos’ wife to fall in love with him. Pasiphae, Mino’s wife, had such an uncontrollable desire to mate with the bull that she asked architect Daedalus to create a wooden cow to crawl into and mate with the animal. They succeeded, and she birthed a half-man, half-bull offspring.
Due to the Minotaur's untamability and danger to society, Daedalus was asked to create a giant Labyrinth in Knossos to hold the man-beast. Since the Minotaur only ate humans, and to keep his power over the people, Minos would request a tribute of 14 children (seven boys and seven girls) every nine years to be fed to the Minotaur.
Additional fun facts:
Minos is known to be the most ancient man to have built a navy.
After he died, Minos became a judge of the dead in the underworld.
His moniker also inspired modern-day archeologists to name the first civilization of Europe the Minoan civilization.
The flight of Icarus
Icarus was the son of the architect Daedalus, who helped Pasiphae mate with the Minotaur and created the Minotaur’s Labyrinth. Daedalus and Icarus were imprisoned in the Labyrinth as Minos was convinced that Daedalus would uncover its secrets to the public and potential enemies. Daedalus created wings out of feathers, blankets, clothes, and beeswax to attempt an escape as he believed the sky was free from Minos’ tyranny.
After crafting the wings, Daedalus warned Icarus to avoid flying too close to the ocean or the sun to avoid damaging the materials of the wings. They took flight, and once clear of Crete, Icarus became too tempted to fly higher toward the sun, melting his wings and causing him to crash down and drown into the Mediterranean Sea. To honor this tragedy, there is now a subdivision of the Mediterranean Sea called the Icarean Sea and an island named Ikaria.
Additional fun facts:
This myth gave rise to the idiom, “fly too close to the sun.”
There are four other stories similar to Icarus’ flight from other nations, including the United Kingdom, China, India, and Babylonia
Ikaria is one of the five places in the world designated as a “Blue Zone,” a community where the population regularly lives to an advanced age (one in three make it to their 90s).
Of course, Crete is more than just its legends. Being the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, it’s an outdoor recreation mecca making it the perfect destination for our Outdoor Adventure FitCation!