Crete and Thera

Knossos was the capital but other important towns were Lyktos and Gortyna. The Eastern side is Eteocretan. The Diktaein zeus is located here. Thera is in the Cyclades, a smattering of islands in the Aegean Sea. King Minos ruled at Knossos, supposedly fairly, but others say he was a tyrant and exacted tributes from everyone and could be cruel and ruthless. The two opposing powers of the island were often at war but sometimes they formed an alliance and there was less upheaval. Lots of Cretans migrated to other parts of Hellas and elsewhere in the Mediterranean and vice versa. The main port for Knossos was Herakleion. In earlier times it was Amisos. They say Crete was settled by Lacedaimonians, Dorians from Doris, Thessalians, and the migratory Pelasgians and is sometimes considered part of the Peloponnesos - but it's not. The 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 military 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 followed and made sure the lovers were compatible with each other. Other rich gifts were given, maybe a set of golf clubs, possibly York Fruits, well they would've been if they'd been invented! It was quite a long courtship lasting for two months including various entertainments and hunting expeditions. At any point the relationship could be averted and could be terminated - only by the Andreion who had a 'paidonomos' to supervise him. An expensive business was a paidonomos. 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 young lads undergoing military training.
   Ancient Hellenes sometimes believed the sun went beneath the sea. The sun always sets in the west and the Phoenician word for sunset is 'europa', and this became the name of the continent in the west, after the goddess.
 Ephoros mentions crete in his tales. Kallimachus does too, as he was a fan of Crete, and who can blame him, with its decent climate and good wine. Mithridates IV was involved with Crete and he was King over in Anatolia. The Romans had a few run-ins with the bloke.
   Mallia is now a clubby resort that plays house and trance music and after midnight the streets are awash with vomit, and it's 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 King Minos was no goody goody and could be a nasty bit of work. 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 Aegean 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, particularly as a naval station and once the centre of the Delian League which eventually evolved into the Athenian League under Kimon, and then Pericles.
   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 nonsnese as it is nowhere near it. Aratos doesn't alway get his brass tacks correct.