Ancient Aliens – Aliens, Gods and Heroes: Superhuman strength… Supernatural powers… And the awesome ability to fly. Throughout history, mankind has told incredible tales of gods with extraordinary powers.
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But are these accounts merely tall tales, or could they be based on factual events? If mythical gods really did exist, were they, as ancient astronaut theorists believe, extraterrestrial beings? And could this help to explain the enduring popularity of gods, titans and other so-called “super-heroes”?
Ancient Aliens – Aliens, Gods and Heroes
Psychro Cave
Psychro Cave is an ancient Minoan sacred cave in Lasithi plateau in the Lasithi district of eastern Crete. Psychro is associated with the Diktaean Cave (Greek: Δικταῖον Ἄντρον Diktaion Antron), one of the putative sites of the birth of Zeus. Other legends place it as the Idaean Cave on Mount Ida. According to Hesiod, Theogony (477-484), Rhea gave birth to Zeus in Lyctus and hid him in a cave of Mount Aegaeon. Since the late nineteenth century the Diktaean Cave, which is above the modern village of Psychro, has been identified with this sanctuary.
The Dictaean cave is famous in Greek mythology as the place where Amalthea, nurtured the infant Zeus with her goat’s milk. The archaeology attests to the site’s long use as a place of cult worship. The nurse of Zeus, who was charged by Rhea to raise the infant Zeus in secret here, to protect him from his father Cronus (Krónos) is also called the nymph Adrasteia in some contexts. It is one of a number of caves believed to have been the birthplace or hiding place of Zeus. The mountains, of which the cave are part, are known in Crete as Dikte.
Gyges of Lydia
Gyges was the founder of the Mermnad dynasty of Lydian kings. The dates of his reign are uncertain but have been tentatively estimated as c. 687 – c. 652 BC. He was a bodyguard of his predecessor Candaules whom he assassinated in order to seize the throne. His action was approved by the Delphic Oracle and that decision prevented civil war in Lydia. Once established on the throne, Gyges devoted himself to consolidating his kingdom and making it a military power.