Korybantes, in Antiquity, priests or people of the island of Crete, identified by some with the Corybantes. The history of the Curetes is involved in very great obscurity. They are said to have been originally inhabitants of Mount Ida in Phrygia, and hence were also called Idari Daetyli.

Lucian and Diodorus represent the Curetes as very expert in throwing the javelin, while other authors assign them no weapons except the pike and buckler; but all are agreed respecting their use of drums and cymbals, to the noise and clashing of which instruments they exercised themselves in dancing of the wildest and most extravagant description. It is related that with this noise they prevented Saturn from hearing the cries of the infant Jupiter, and thus preserved the child's life. Some authors, however, give a different account of the Curetes. According to Pezron and others, the Curetes were, in the times of Saturn, and in the countries of Crete and Phrygia, what the Druids were afterwards among the Gauls and Britons; namely, priests who had the care of all that related to religion and the worship of the gods. Hence, as in those days it was supposed that there was no communication with the gods but by means of divinations, auguries, and the operations of magic, the Curetes passed for magicians and enchanters; and to these accomplishments they added the study of the stars, of nature, and of poetry. In short, they were philosophers, astronomers, and poets. Vossius (De Idolat.) distinguishes three kinds of Curetes; those of Aetolia, those of Phrygia, and those of Crete, who were originally derived from the Phrygians. The first, he says, took their name from kouros, tonsure, because from the time of a combat in which the enemy had seized them by their long hair they always kept it short. But those of Phrygia and Crete, he supposes, were so called from kouros, young man, because they were young, or because they had taken charge of the infant Jupiter. See CASINI, CORINTHANS, CRETE, DAGTYLI, &c.