DATITILI. — Lesser deities of Greek religion, followers of Cybele and Rhea, probably pre-Hellenic, Phrygian or Cretan.
They were mythical dwarfs, highly skilled smiths, the first to work iron, inventors of music, and experts in magical arts. Their number varies: some say there were 5 male and 5 female, while others claim there were many more. In Crete they were linked to the infancy of Zeus, hence their identification with the Curetes, Corybantes, etc. One of them, Heracles, was believed to have founded the Olympic Games.
BIBL.: O. Kern, s. V. in Pauly-Wissowa, IV, II, col. 2018; Lugia Banti.