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Thebes

Thebes is a city in the region of Boeotia in Greece, which provided the setting for various myths and stories. Cadmus , a Phoenician king, was the mythical founder of the city; the myth has it that after getting advice from the Oracle of Delphi, he had to follow a cow and build a city wherever the animal would stop. After it stopped, Cadmus decided to sacrifice it to the gods and asked his men to get some water from a nearby spring, which was guarded by a dragon. The dragon killed most of his men, before it was slain by Cadmus . Advised by Athena , Cadmus sew half of the dragon's teeth, and armed soldiers sprang out of the ground, the Spartoi. Cadmus threw a stone among them, who confused about who had done it, started fighting each other. Only five survived, who helped Cadmus build Thebes. However, one of the most prominent sagas of Greek mythology that took place in Thebes was the story of Laius, and everything that resulted from his deeds. Although he was the rightful heir ...

Athens

Athens is the capital city of Greece and has been continuously inhabited for over 7000 years. In ancient times, it was one of the main city-states that competed for power against Sparta, Corinth and Thebes. It also provided the backdrop for various myths and legends for ancient Greeks. Its name derives from the goddess of wisdom, Athena, who became the city's patron goddess after a contest with Poseidon. The two gods competed for who would get the honour of becoming the patron god of the city, and offered gifts to the Athenians. Poseidon hit the ground with his trident and created a spring, showing that he would offer significant naval power. Athena, on the other hand, offered the olive tree, a symbol of prosperity and peace. The Athenians, led by King Cecrops I, decided to take Athena's gift, thus making her the patron goddess. The city was also the starting point for the story of Aegeus and Theseus. Aegeus was the king of Athens; during some games that were organised ...

Crete

Zeus, the king of gods and men, was born in a cave in Greece and was raised by a goat, Amalthea. It was also in the nearby islets of Paximadia that the twins Artemis and Apollo were born. When Crete was attacked by a giant lizard, Zeus defended the island and threw a lightning bolt against it, turning the beast to stone and into an island that is now called Dia. On the other hand, the small islands of Lefkai were created after a musical contest between the Sirens and the Muses. The latter, furious that they had lost, pulled all the feathers from the Sirens and threw them into the sea, thus forming those islands. The giant automaton Talos was the guardian of Crete and was killed when Medea pulled a spike that held the ichor, the divine blood, into Talos' body. Finally, it was the place where the palace of King Minos was located, under which Daedalus had built the labyrinth, in order to house the Minotaur, a monster formed from the union of Minos' wife, Pasiphae, and a bull....