1
Epimenides of Crete
ANDRONIKI OIKONOMAKI
Epimenides, who is said to have been active in
the late seventh to the sixth century BCE, was a
semi-mythical Cretan seer, purifier, epic poet,
and historian. He was born at KNOSSOS or PHAIS-
TOS (Diog. Laert. 1.10.109; Paus. 1.14.4; Plut. Sol.
12.4); his father was Phaistios, Agesarchos, or
Dosiadas and his mother was a nymph, Balte
or Blasta (Plut. Sol. 12.4; Suidas s.v. Ἐπιμενίδης).
Epimenides is portrayed as a mythical and
divine figure and as the seventh Wise Man of
antiquity (Suidas s.v. Ἐπιμενίδης; Plut. Sol.
12.4). He was reputed to have lived 154, 157,
or 299 years and to have fallen asleep for
57 years in the Dictaean cave in CRETE, thereby
acquiring his prophetic, cathartic, and healing
powers as a “favorite of heaven” (Diog. Laert.
1.10.109–11). He is referred to as a priest of
ZEUS Dictaios and as the New Kouros, and is
associated with the initiation to the cult of
the Cretan Zeus (Diog. Laert. 1.10.114; Plut.
Sol. 12.4). Epimenides was called upon to
purify Athens from the miasma caused by
the murder of KYLON’s followers by the ALKMAIO-
NIDAI ca. 596 BCE (Diog. Laert. 1.10.110–11;
Plut. Sol. 12.4–6). Pausanias (3.11.11) locates
Epimenides’ grave in the official building of
the Ephors in Sparta. The ancient proverbial
expression “Epimenidean skin” referred to
something secret and mysterious, and alluded
to his tattooed skin, which was probably a
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine, and Sabine R. Huebner.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Published 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah30187
parchment sheet with his oracles (Suidas s.v.
Ἐπιμενίδης; Bremmer 2010).
Works dubiously attributed to Epimenides
include epic poems such as The Origin of the
Kouretes and Korybantes, Theogony, and Argo-
nautica, prose works such as On Minos and
Radamanthys, Sacrifices and the Cretan consti-
tution, and a History of Crete, and mystical
works of Orphic character (FGrH III B 457).
A letter allegedly written by Epimenides
advises SOLON on his legislation (Diog. Laert.
1.10.113). The verse of questionable context,
“Cretans are ever liars, evil beasts, lazy
bellies,” first attested in Callimachus (Hymn
to Zeus, 8) and later mentioned by St. Paul in
his Epistle to Titus (1.12), is commonly known
as Epimenides’ paradox.
SEE ALSO:
Historiography, Greek and Roman;
Orpheus and Orphism.
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS
Bremmer, J. N. (2010) “Manteis, magic, mystery, and
mythography: messy margins of polis religion?”
Kernos 23: 13–35.
Mele, A. and Tortorelli Ghidini, M. (2001) Epimenide
Cretese. Naples.
Pugliese Carratelli, G. (1978) “Epimenide.” In G.
Rizza and G. Pugliese Carratelli, eds., Antichità
Cretesi. Studi in onore di Doro Levi, vol. II:
9–15. Catania.
Strataridaki, A. (1991) “Epimenides of Crete: some
notes on his life, works, and the verse ‘Κρῆτες
ἀεὶ ψεῦσται’.” Fortunatae 2: 207–23.