DATTILI. – Minor divinities of the Greek religion, in the retinue of Cibele and Rea, 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: according to some, there were five male and five female; according to others, many more. In Crete they were associated with the childhood of Zeus, hence their identification with the Curetes, the Corybantes, etc. One of them, Eracle, was believed to be the founder of the Olympic games.
BIBL.: O. Kern, s. V. in Pauly-Wissova, IV, II, col. 2018 ff. Luisa Banti