• The Legendary past of the island: more than 8.000 years of
Legend and History The Legendary past of the island: more than
8.000 years of Legend and History Legend has bestowed on the
Greek island of Crete the privilege of being the birthplace of
Zeus , father of the gods. Rhea, his mother, fearing the mania
of Cronos, Zeus'father, who "swallowed" is children in order
that they might not usurp his power, came to the island, with
the help of Gaia and Uranus, and gave birth to her son in a
cave. He was reared by Nymphs and, when he grew to manhood, he
engaged his father in a fight, emerged victorious, and became
king of the heavens. From the union of Zeus with the princess
Europa - whom, according to mythology, Zeus, assuming the form
of a bull, had abducted from Phoenicia and brought to Crete -
three sons, worthy of their father-god and of their noble
mother, were born. They were Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpidon.
Minos, the better known and most honoured of the three, became
the powerful, just and wise king o