Cave of Zeus

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Coordinates: 35°12′30″N 24°49′44″E / 35.208361°N 24.828944°E / 35.208361; 24.828944

Cave of Zeus

Interior

The Cave of Zeus is a cave located on the slopes of Mount Dikti, on the island of Crete, Greece. The deep cave has a single entrance and features beautiful stalagmites and stalactites.

In antiquity it was a place of worship, because it was believed to be the cave where the titan Rhea hid the infant Zeus, in order to protect him from his father Cronus who intended to swallow him like other of his progeny. According to a variant of this legend, the Kouretes, a band of mythical warriors, undertook to dance their wild, noisy war dances in front of the cave, so that the clamour would keep Cronus from hearing the infant's crying.

Excavations have revealed a large number of votive cult offerings on the site.

The Cave of Zeus may also refer to a cave by the same name on the Aegean island of Naxos.

External links

Zeus Cave pictures

v t e Crete

People	Dimitrios Kallergis Eleftherios Venizelos El Greco Emmanouil Tsouderos Epimenides Konstantinos Mitsotakis Minos Nearchus Nikos Kazantzakis Sfakians

History	Ancient Crete Minoan period Mycenaean period Classical and Hellenistic period Creta et Cyrenaica First Byzantine period Emirate of Crete Second Byzantine period Kingdom of Candia Revolt of Saint Titus Cretan War (1645–69) Ottoman Crete Greek War of Independence Cretan Revolt (1866–69) Cretan State Theriso revolt Battle of Crete Cretan resistance

Major cities	Agios Nikolaos Chania Heraklion Ierapetra Rethymno Sitia

Gorges	Agia Eirini Gorge Ha Gorge Imbros Gorge Kotsifos Gorge Kourtaliotiko Gorge Milona Gorge Richtis Gorge Samariá Gorge Sarakina Gorge

Landmarks	Amnisos Archaeological Museum of Chania Agia Triada Monastery Agios Minas Cathedral Agios Titos (Heraklion) Aptera Fortress Archanes Arkadi Monastery Cave of Zeus Cretaquarium Firkas Fortress Fortezza of Rethymno Frangokastello Gortyn Gournia Gouverneto Monastery Gramvousa Heraklion Archaeological Museum Knossos Koules Fortress Lato Lions Square Malia Matala Mirabello Bay Mount Ida St.Mark Basilica Nautical Museum of Crete Phaistos Psychro Cave Souda (island) Spinalonga Tylissos Vai Zakros

Culture	Cuisine Cretan Greek dialect Cretan School Lyra Mantinada Minotaur Music

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Cave of Zeus

See also

External links