Rhaucus

For the genus of harvestmen, see Rhaucus (harvestman).

Rhaucus or Rhaukos (Ancient Greek: Ῥαῦκος)[1] was a town of ancient Crete. From the story told about the Cretan bees by Antenor in his Cretica[2] it seems that there were two cities of this name in Crete. The existence of two places so called in the island might give rise to some such legend as that which he mentions.[3]

The site of one Rhaucus is at or near modern Agios Myronas,[4][5] between Knossos and Gortyna, and from its proximity to Mount Ida, we can infer that it is the more ancient.

  1. ^ Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax p. 19; Polybius. The Histories. Vol. 31.1.1, 33.15.1.
  2. ^ ap. Aelian. N. A. 17.35; comp. Diodorus Siculus. Bibliotheca historica (Historical Library). Vol. 5.70. )
  3. ^ Pashley, Robert (1837). Travels in Crete. Cambridge and London: J. Murray. p. 235.
  4. ^ Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 60, and directory notes accompanying. ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9.
  5. ^ Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.