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Crete is the large island in the Mediterranean
Sea, southeast of Greece. The first Cretan kings
were Archedius, Gortys 2, and Cydon 1, sons of
Tegeates, the founder of Tegea in
Arcadia. Tegeates was
son of the impious Lycaon
2, who lived at the time of
The Flood [see
Mythical
Chronology]. The three brothers emigrated from
Arcadia to Crete, and it
is said that the city Gortyna was named after
Gortys 2, and Cydonia after Cydon 1.
After them, Tectamus (son of Dorus 1, son of
Hellen 1, son of
Deucalion 1, the man
who survived the Flood)
sailed to Crete with Aeolians and Pelasgians, and
became king of the island. During his reign,
Zeus carried off
Europa from Phoenicia.
Tectamus' son Asterius 3 married
Europa and inherited the
kingdom, being himself succeeded on the throne by
Minos 1, son of Zeus and
Europa.
Minos 1 was succeeded by his son Lycastus 1, and
the latter by his famous son
Minos 2, who some call
son of Zeus and
Europa. The architectural
creations of Daedalus
(the Labyrinth, the Wooden Cow, the Dancing-floor
for Ariadne) are from
the age of Minos 2.
He waged war against
Athens and
Megara, imposing tribute
to the former, and conquering the latter through
the treason of the daughter of King Nisus 1. But
during his reign, the power of Crete decayed, and
Theseus slew the
Minotaur and abducted
Ariadne, being helped by
Daedalus.
Minos 2 died in Sicily,
where he had come looking for the traitor
Daedalus, killed by
King Cocalus or by the latter's daughters.
Minos 2 was succeeded
by Idomeneus 1, who became leader of the Cretans
during the Trojan War.
At his return from Troy,
however, he was prevented to land on the Crete, or
driven out of the island by the usurper Leucus 1.
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