Crete and Thera

Knossos was the capital but also there was Kydonia and Lyktos and Gortyna. Eastern side is Eteocretans. The Diktaein zeus is here. Thera is in the Cyclades. Minos ruled at Knossos fairly but others say he was a tyrant and exacted tributes from everyone. The two opposing powers of the island were often at war but sometimes they joined each other and there was less upheaval. Lots of Cretans migrated to other parts of Hellas and elsewhere in the Med and vice versa. The main port for Knossos was Herakleion. In earlier times it was Amnisos. They say Crete was settled by Lacedaimonians, Dorians from Doris, Thessalians, and the migratory Pelasgians and is sometimes considered part of the Peloponnesos. Samonian Cape is east facing Egypt and the White mountains are in the west.
    Gifts were very often given to abducted lovers as was the custom, usually including a miltary uniform, a drinking cup and an ox which was sacrificed to Zeus and later consumed at a party attended by friends of the lovers. The friends of the lovers were always following and making sure the lovers were a good match for each other. Other gifts were given. It was quite a long courtship lasting for two months including many entertainments and hunting expeditions. At any point the relationship could averted and could be terminated only by the Andreion who had a paidonomos to supervise him. An expensive business. If you were good looking and well bred it was said to be disgraceful not to have a lover. Looks were secondary to manliness and decorum. Money in Crete was provided by the State to balance out any equality and nobody starved in the mess halls which were ran for the 'herds' of lads.
   Ancient Hellenes sometimes believed the sun went beneath the sea. That was in Homer's time. Homeric times. It was ruled then by Idomeneus. Ephoros mentions crete. Kallimachus does too. Mithridates IV was involved.
   Mallia is now a clubby resort not far from Amnisos. A world of hedonism in summer: a long way from ancient Knossos or maybe it did have elements of that. From some accounts Minos was no goody goody. Phaistos is a port on the south coast facing the Libyan sea. Theothrastus comments about greek lads in love in his book 'in love'. Delos became under Athenian rule during Strabo's time. They say Delos was an island that floated around the Aegian sea and a goddess once landed there and she wanted a solid platform to give birth so she erected four vast columns to anchor the island in place and Delos has retained it's strategic position ever since. A plausible tale.
   Leukokomas of Leben once said to his lover Euxynthetos "go to Praisos and bring back my dog!" Cheek of it. When he got to Praises he may have seen the sanctuary of Diktaian Zeus from where Minos asked many questions every ninth year. I doubt Euxynthetos would've seen the woman Britomartis who escaped from the supposedly violent and tyrannical king Minos although some say he was a just man and civilised Cretans society with laws etc. Anyway Britomartis ran away regardless of whether he was good or bad and she jumped into a fisherman's net and she was called Diktyanna after having done so as the greek word for net is Diktya. There is a mount dikte nearby. Well Euxynthetos obviously brought back his lover's dog and all was good. Now that's love for you. Maybe Euxynthetos said to Leukokomas "ok I got your dog now you go get mine, it's in China ha ha". Mt Dikte was said to be near Mt Ida but this is bullshit as it is nowhere near it. Aratos doesn't alway get his brass tacks correct.