Greek mythology is an engaging study. It is full of exciting places, monsters and heroes but of all the places Crete is a epicentre of action and intrigue. Home to Knossos it looms large in the Greek imagination.
The first Queen of Crete was Europa. Europa was a princess of Tyre of the Phoenicians who attracts the attentions of Zeus. Zeus is infamous in Greek mythology for his dalliances with gods, nymphs and morals despite being unhappily married to his sister Hera. Hera was the goddess of marriage and disapproved of his adventures. In one of these adventures Zeus disguised himself as a tame white bull and mixed with the king of Phoenicias herds. When Europa saw the bull she was enchanted and climbed on its back. Zeus then ran to the coast and swam to Crete where he revealed his true nature to Europa. Europa accepted Zeus and bore him a son who became the famous Minos.
King Minos was not a demi-god despite being the son of Zeus but his divine heritage did mark him out for fame and adventure. He is the king of Knossos and the man responsible for casting Athenian youths into the labyrinth to be consumed by the Minotaur. The Minotaur was a half man and half bull abomination that ate human flesh. To control such a creature Minos recruited the inventor Daedalus to create the Labyrinth. Daedalus the inventor was also responsible for the creation of the first dance floor which he made for Minos’ daughter Ariadne. To ensure that the secret of the labyrinth remained a secret Minos cast Daedalus and his son Icarus inside to be the victims of their own creation. Creatively Daedalus had foreseen such an eventuality and had built in a hidden escape route which took him and his son to freedom. They flew from Crete on wings created by Daedalus but Icarus flew too close to the sun. The sun melted the wax of the wings and he fell to his death.
Minos suspected that Daedalus had escaped and travelled from city to city with a cunning riddle. He offered a reward to any man who could thread a string through a spiral sea shell. Daedalus was being protected by the king of Sicily, Cocalus, who knew that this would not be a problem for the great man. Daedalus tied the string to an ant who he then tempted with honey to walk though the shell thus threading it. Minos was delighted. Only Daedalus could have worked it out and he demanded that Cocalus hand him over. Cocalus was in an impossible position because Minos was so powerful. He agreed to the demand then suggested that Minos take a bath. Minos agreed unaware that this was another of Daedalus’ inventions. Daedalus had created a bathtub filled with pipes and was able to super heat the water thus boiling the tyrant Minos to death.
Free at last from the pursuit of Minos Daedalus retired to Telmessos where he was bitten by a snake. Midos became one of the judges of the dead in the underworld and Europa who gave her name to Europe is remembered by the star sign Taurus which Zeus created in her memory.