Folklore - Mythology

 
 

Radamanthys

 

  

 

The second of Minos' brothers, Radamanthys, had the reputation of being very wise and is said to be the designer of the first laws in the world. Therefore he was appointed by Minos to act not only as the legislative authority but also the judicial because of his great sense of justice.

 

 
Radamanthys was not the only one to be the judicial power in Crete. He did only have jurisdiction over the cities, while the land zones were ruled by the mythical copper man Talos.
 

 
Radamanthys' great abilities as a judge led him to several trips to the islands of the Aegean and Minor Asia, where there already might be Cretan colonies, or they were founded by him. Anyway he did at least found the city of Erythrés in Asia Minor, which is named after his son Erythros. On the island of Chios, he inaugurated Ariadni and Dionysos' son Oinopíon, who taught man the art of winemaking. Probably he founded the city of Górtyna - named after his second son Górtys – which in Roman time was the capital of Crete and where the world's first written code of laws has been found.

 

 
He is also said to be the inventor of the principle that an accused is innocent until his guilt is proved - even if he hits the person who accused him !! He did also introduce a (fair) criminal system.
 

 
When Radamanthys had grown elderly, he chose to exile voluntarily to Viotia (Boeothia) northwest of Athens. Here he married the widow Alkmini, who had a little son whom Radamanthys raised as his own. The son was Heracles, who soon turned out to be one of Greece's most famous heroes - something between God and man.
 

 
Radamanthys' great sense of justice made him, after his death, judge in Hades - along with Minos and Aiacus.

 
When a person died, he first was sent to the Meadow of Asphodel, from where he could see Pluton and Persephone's (The Gods of Death) palace dimly.

 

 
The asphodel is included in the family Asphodelaceae and blooms almost everywhere in Greece in the spring.

 
The judgmental triumvirate had its seat near the palace. Minos was the leader of the court, Aiacus sentenced the dead from Europe (West) and Radamanthys the dead from Asia (East). The sinners were sent directly to Tartaros, a place with countless torments, while the blessed ones were led to Elysium.