The poet Hesiod is the first to refer to the myth of Europa (-8th century BCE)
- The origins of the European idea (Before 1918)
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- ITER and Galileo: Europe at the forefront of science (2005)
- Bulgaria and Romania join the 25 (January 1, 2007)
- 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome (March 25, 2007)
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-8th century BCE
The poet Hesiod is the first to refer to the myth of Europa
According to legend, Europa was a Phoenician princess who seduced Zeus, the chief of the gods of Olympus in Greek mythology. The god, in the shape of a bull, abducted her to Crete where she gave birth to the legendary King Minos.The origin of the name Europa is still a mystery. It may be a contraction of the Greek words eurus (wide, generous) and ops (look, face). Or it may come from the Phoenician Ereb (dark), a term used to denote the lands in the west. The word was gradually adopted by the Greeks to refer to all the lands to the north of the Mediterranean basin.
