Dikteon Cave Crete
Just less than 5km to the west of Agios Georgios is the famous
Dikteon Cave(Cave of Zeus), which is close to the village of
Psychros. It is located on the north side of Mt. Di cteat an
altitude of 1,025 metres. It was discovered in 1900 by an
English archaeologist and, inside were found ceremonial altars,
small statues, tables for offerings, weapons, tools, seals,
jewels, pottery and many other things of great archaeological
significance.
The findings show that during the Middle-Minoan and Archaic
Period the cave acted as a shrine to Zeus. The mythology tells
the story of how Rhea hid her infant son, Zeus, here to save him
from a certain death by his jealous father Kronos. The story
relays how Zeus grew up here and was cared for by the goat,
Amalthia (who fed him her milk), the Nymphs and Kourites. It is
also, allegedly, where Zeus met Europe.
The entrance to the cave is a chamber 14m by 8m and this leads
to a much larger cavern which is divided into four small
chambers that are filled with amazing stalactites and
stalagmites. There is a small lake in the back of one of these
chambers where Zeus is supposed to have bathed and where most of
the offerings were found during excavations.
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