Dikteon la grotta di Zeus

The Crete island is a land of myths, legends and profound history, here you can admire and discover magical places where you can gallop with your imagination and almost catapult yourself into another dimension.

An excursion not to be missed is undoubtedly to the Zeus Cave also called Psychro Cave or Dikteon Cave.Its importance and popularity is due to the fact that according to Hellenic tradition, the God of Gods, the immense Zeus, was born here. It is located above the Lassithi plateau prefecture, the final western part of the island in the Psychro village from which it also takes its name, at 1025 meters above sea level. Considered a sacred site from the Minoan era, after a steep and slippery staircase, you will reach the interior of the mountain which houses the cave full of stalagmites and dripping stalactites of sometimes enormous dimensions. A path made of wooden and metal walkways illuminated only by substantial lights will accompany you into the bowels of the cave. The humidity that forms naturally and the low temperature create an almost gloomy and dark atmosphere and we are sure it will make you imagine what it might have been like in ancient times.

Geologically speaking, the Zeus Cave, like approximately 3,500 other caves scattered across Crete, was formed due to the centuries old seismic activities of the area.Of limestone formation, it has an entrance 18 meters wide and 14 meters high. Its dating dates back to the Jurassic or Eocene. The main room, the only one that can be visited, has a height between 4 and 7 meters with a floor covered with a layer of clay.

But let's get to her story which is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating things around her. Dikteon's Cave is the place where the goat Amalthea known in Crete as Dikte, raised Zeus by feeding him with her milk. One day the animal broke its horn against a tree and the nymphs picked it up and filled it with flowers. Zeus, grateful for the kind gesture towards his nurse, promised the nymphs that everything they desired would come out of the horn. From here the horn of abundance known as Cornucopia was born, a lucky symbol par excellence of well being and wealth. Amalthea was originally entrusted by Rhea, Zeus mother, to look after and protect the newborn, keeping him well hidden from his cruel father Cronus. The Titans younges, son of Uranus and Gaea, first chased away his father, proclaiming himself Lord of the world and later married Rhea with whom he had six children Vesta, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. A prophecy announced to Cronos that one of his sons would oust him from the throne and to avoid such misfortune, he decided to swallow them all, but his wife managed to save at least one Zeus, hiding him in the Psychro Cave where he grew up strong and fearless, sowho as an adult faced and defeated Cronus, forcing him to regurgitate his brothers and sisters and then incarcerating him in Tartarus.

The first excavations of this wonderful and fascinating place were made in 1886 by Joseph Hatzidakisesteemed archaeologist as well as one of the founders of the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. The sacred cave brought to light numerous findings such as a stucco altar in the upper part which came to light in 1900 completely surrounded by layers of ash as well as ceramics and other votive objects in bronze, iron and terracotta and animal bones which are linked to sacrificial ritesin honor of the God. Some human clay statuettes were found in the cave, a very strange factor for a mountain sanctuary, but the most precious piece is a bronze leg, a piece never found in any cave. All these finds are now found in the Heraklion Museum, in Chania, in the Louvre and in the British Museum.

So, it's not difficult but rather challenging. First of all, know that you will have to undertake at least half an hour of steep trekking so suitable clothing with tennis or walking shoes and also a jacket is essential, you will need it when you enter the cave where the temperature drops significantly compared to the outside. So first arrive via a comfortable asphalt road at the plateau car park, from there follow the fenced and guarded path that will take you directly to the cave.

If you want and if you love walking but above all if you are fit, you can take the E4 route from here which takes you to the top of Mount Ida, the highest peak in Crete, reaching almost 2500 meters above sea level.