"Land of milk and honey"

Byzantine sources render the Arab conquest of the island in an almost fictional manner. According to them, the Arabs from Spain set sail for Crete with a fleet of forty ships, intent on carrying out a pirate raid. But as soon as they had disembarked and moved into the hinterland, their leader Abu Hafs set fire to the ships, thus depriving them of the ability to leave. In response to the vehement protests of his warriors, Abu Hafs declared that Crete, as a "land of milk and honey", was an ideal place for permanent settlement.