Crete macrocarpa" forest in Europe. Samaria Gorge is a World Biosphere Reserve and Richtis Gorge is protected for its landscape diversity. Crete has a rich mythology mostly connected with the ancient Greek Gods but also connected with the Minoan civilisation. According to Greek Mythology, The Diktaean Cave at Mount Dikti was the birthplace of the god Zeus. The Paximadia islands were the birthplace of the goddess Artemis and the god Apollo. Their mother, the goddess Leto, was worshipped at Phaistos. The goddess Athena bathed in Lake Voulismeni. The ancient Greek god Zeus launched a lightning bolt at a giant lizard that
Achaeus (son of Xuthus) that of Achaia, which was formerly called Aegialus. When his uncle Aeolus in Thessaly, whence he himself had come to Peloponnesus, died, he went there and made himself master of Phthiotis, which now also received from him the name of Achaia. Achaeus (son of Xuthus) In Greek mythology, Achaeus or Achaios (; Ancient Greek: Ἀχαιός "Akhaiós", derived from "αχος" "achos", "grief, pain, woe") was, according to nearly all traditions, a son of Xuthus and Creusa, and consequently a brother of Ion and grandson of Hellen. Servius alone calls Achaeus a son of Jupiter (Zeus) and Pithia, probably a misspelling of