Crete

• Crete is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean and was the Roman Province of Crete between 67 BCE-395 CE.

1. History

• Pre-Roman history:
• Timeline of Ancient Greece
  • Second largest island in the Eastern Mediterranean after Cyprus.
  • Cradle of early Civilisations. Always able to be an Independent State from mainland Greece.
  • Palace of Knossos and the Minoan Civilisation (2700-1420 BCE).
  • The Mycenean Civilisations (1420-1100 BCE).
  • The Pirates of Crete of the first and second century BCE:
  • 214-196 BCE Macedonian Wars with Rome, Crete sided with Philip of Macedon.
  • Civil War between Knossos, Cydonia and Gortyna. Rome unsuccessfully intervened with Ambassadors in 184, 180 and 174 BCE. Crete became a Pirate Island.
  • 154 BCE Rhodes invaded unsuccessfully. Rome’s influence increased.
  • Piracy was now the dominant occupation during second and first century BCE in Crete. The Pirates of Cilicia were allied with Mithridates VI of Pontus against Rome.
• Acquisition by Rome:
  • 71 BCE Initial Roman attack repulsed during the Mithridatic Wars (88-63 BCE).
  • 69 BCE Quintus Caecilius Metellus with 3 Legions took 3 years to subdue Crete in 69 BCE. Awarded Title of ‘Creticus’.
  • 67 BCE Jointly ruled as Cyrenaica and Crete by one Governor based at Gortyn on Crete.
• Timeline of this Province:
• After Augustus’ reconstituted the Republic into an Empire (27 BCE)
  • 20 BCE Cyrenaica and Crete officially reorganised into a Senatorial Propraetorial Province.
  • 269 CE Raided by the Goths.
• After Diocletian’s Reforms (297 CE)
  • c.297 CE Crete separated from Cyrenaica.
  • 365 CE Crete Earthquake and Tsunami of 21 July 365 CE
• After Death of Theodosius (395 CE) and the final split into Eastern Empire and Western Empire:
  • 395 CE Crete became part of the Eastern Empire.
  • 467 CE Attacked by the Vandals.
• Famous Persons from this Province:
• Chief archeological Finds:

2. Geography

• Capital City:
  • Gortyn
    • An inland Ruin, 28 miles (45km) south of Heraklion.
• Chief Cities:
  • Aptera (Ruins), Chania, Heraklion, Lerapetra, (Hierapytna) this was the Departure Port for Cyrenaica in North Africa and Polyrrhenia.
• Location Today:
  • Crete.
• Neighbouring Roman Provinces:
  • The Cretan Sea and opposite Achaea (to the North), The Libyan Sea and Cyrenaica (to the South) The Islands of Santorini and Rhodes are nearby.
• Climate and Temperature Today:
• Crete experiences two climates:
  • Mediterranean Climate:
    • Atmosphere is humid near the Sea, Winters are mild. Between November and May, snow falls on the Mountains which remain capped in snow all year round. Summer Temperatures 30-40°C
  • North African Climate:
    • The South Coast and the Mesara Plain and Asterousia Mountains. Hotter temperatures all year round.
• Main Geographical Features:
  • The Gorges: Gorge of Samaria, Imbros Gorge, Kourtaliotikio Gorge, Ha Gorge, Platania Gorge, the Gorge of the Dead (Kato Zakros, Sitia), Richtis Gorge and Waterfall (Exo Mouliana, Sitia).
  • The Forests: today these are mainly Mediterranean woodlands, but Forests used to exist all over Ancient Crete. The island of Chrysa, located opposite Lerapetra, has the largest and oldest Cedar tree forest in Europe.
  • The Freshwater Lakes: Lake Kournas and Lake Agia, near Chania.
• Main Rivers:
  • R. Leropotamos, R. Koiliaris, R. Anapodiaris, R. Almiros, R. Megas Potamos.
• Mountain Ranges:
  • One continuous chain from West to East:
    • West: Lefka Ori (White Mountains). Centre: Mount Ida 8,057 ft (2,456m). East: Mount Dikti 7,047 ft (2,148m).
• Islands:
  • Dia Nisida (opp. Heraklion), Gramvousa (Kissamos, Chania, opp. Baloo lagoon), Elafonisi (opp. Chania), Chrysi (opp. Lerapetra, has the largest Cedar Tree forest in Europe), Paximadia (Agia Galini, Rethymno) (where Apollo and Artemis were born), Spinalonga (opp. Elounda, Lasithi), Dionysades Islands (Sitia, Lasithi).

3. Political Organisation

• Province Type
• Senatorial Propraetorial Province
  • 67 BCE Cyrenaica and Crete ruled jointly under one Governor.
  • From 20 BCE, Cyrenaica and Crete reorganised as a Senatorial Propraetorial Province.
  • Crete has always governed the Cyclades chain of Islands.
  • At first, the Dodecanese Islands, including the Southern Sporades and Rhodes, were created as the Provincia Insularum with the Capital at Rhodes.
  • Later, it was joined with Crete, and after 395 CE came under the control of the Eastern Roman Empire.
• Governor:
  • Propraetor
    • 36-31 BCE: Marcus Licinius Crassus
    • 2 BC-7 CE: Lucius Plotius Licina
    • c.14-37 CE: Cornelius Lupus
    • 73-75 CE: Gaius Arinius Modestus
    • 76-78 CE: Gaius Iulius Quadratus Bassus
• Tribes and Population:
  • Greek
• Language:
  • Greek

4. Military Organisation

• Legions: None.
• Navy: None.
• Defensive Works: None.
• Main Threats:
  • Piracy in the 1st century BCE.

5. Economy

• Chief Exports:
  • Timber, Cedar Wood, Wine, Olive Oil
• Agriculture and Fishing:
  • Vines and Olives
• Manufacturing:
  • Pottery
• Mines:
  • Copper Mines of Kandanos.
  • Whetstone Quarries.
• Mints:
  • Gortyn

6. Transport

• Roads:
  • The cities were interconnected by Roman Roads.
• Waterways: None.
• Ports:
  • Heraklion Harbour controlled by Heraklion
  • Souda Bay, controlled by Aptera near Chania
  • other ports were: Kissamos, Chania, Malia and Zakros.
  • Lerapetra (Hierapytna), which was the Departure Port for Cyrenaica in North Africa
• Ancient Trade Routes:
  • At a crossroads of Maritime routes from Italia and Greece to the Levant and Egypt.
• Number of Days taken to travel from this Province to Rome:

7. Relationship with Rome

• Wealthy and Peaceful Province, after Rome crushed the Pirates of Cilicia in 67 BCE.
• Always ruled as a joint Province with Cyrenaica across the Mediterranean until c.297 CE.
• Crete was at a strategic crossroads of Maritime routes.

8. History of Christianity in this Province

9. Roman Authors describing this Province

10. Films

• The Two Faces of January IMDb (2014)
  • Filmed in the ruins of Knossos, Crete, as well as Athens and Istanbul.

Crete