CHAP. 20.—CRETE.
Crete itself lies from east to west, the one side facing the
south, the other the north, and is known to fame by the
renown of its hundred cities. Dosiades says, that it took
its name from the nymph Crete, the daughter of Hesperides[1];
Anaximander, from a king of the Curetes, Philistides of Mallus
* * * * *; while Crates says that it was at first called Aëria,
and after that Curetis; and some have been of opinion
that it had the name of Macaron[2] from the serenity of its
climate. In breadth it nowhere exceeds fifty miles, being
widest about the middle. In length, however, it is full 270
miles, and 589 in circumference, forming a bend towards
the Cretan Sea, which takes its name from it. At its
eastern extremity is the Promontory of Sammonium[3], facing
Rhodes, while towards the west it throws out that of
Criumetopon[4], in the direction of Cyrene.
The more remarkable cities of Crete are, Phalasarna, Etæa[5],
Cisamon[6], Pergamum, Cydonia[7], Minoium[8],
Apteron[9], Pantomatrium, Amphimalla[10], Rhithymna,
Panormus, Cytæum, Apollonia, Matium[11], Heraclea, Miletos,
Ampelos, Hierapytna[12],
Lebena[13], and Hierapolis; and, in the interior, Gortyna[14], Phæstum, Cnossus[15], Polyrrenium, Myrina, Lycastus, Rhamnus,
Lyctus, Dium[16], Asus, Pyloros, Rhytion, Elatos, Pharæ,
Holopyxos, Lasos, Eleuthernæ[17], Therapnæ, Marathusa, and
Tylisos; besides some sixty others, of which the memory only exists. The mountains are those of Cadistus[18],
Ida, Dictynnæus, and Corycus[19]. This island is distant, at
its promontory of Criumetopon, according to Agrippa, from
Phycus[20], the promontory of Cyrene, 125 miles; and at Cadistus, from Malea in the Peloponnesus, eighty. From the
island of Carpathos[21], at its promontory of Sammonium it
lies in a westerly direction, at a distance of sixty miles; this
last-named island is situate between it and Rhodes.
The other islands in its vicinity, and lying in front of the
Peloponnesus, are the two isles known as Corycæ, and the
two called Mylæ[22]. On the north side, having Crete on the
right, and opposite to Cydonia, is Leuce[23], and the two islands
known as Budroæ[24]. Opposite to Matium lies Dia[25]; opposite
to the promontory of Itanum[26], Onisia and Leuce; and over
against Hierapytna, Chrysa and Gaudos[27]. In the same
neighbourhood, also, are Ophiussa, Butoa, and Aradus; and,
after doubling Criumetopon, we come to the three islands
known as Musagorus. Before the promontory of Sammonium lie the islands of Phocœ, the Platiæ, the Sirnides,
Naulochos, Armedon, and Zephyre.
Belonging to Hellas, but still in the Ægean Sea, we have
the Lichades[28], consisting of Scarphia, Coresa, Phocaria,
and many others which face Attica, but have no towns
upon them, and are consequently of little note. Opposite
Eleusis, however, is the far-famed Salamis[29]; before it,
Psyttalia[30]; and, at a distance of five miles from Sunium, the
island of Helene[31]. At the same distance from this last is
Ceos[32], which some of our countrymen have called Cea, and
the Greeks Hydrussa, an island which has been torn away
from Eubœa. It was formerly 500 stadia in length; but
more recently four-fifths of it, in the direction of Bœotia, have
been swallowed up by the sea. The only towns it now has
left are Iulis and Carthæa[33]; Coresus[34] and
Pϑessa[35] have
perished. Varro informs us, that from this place there used to
come a cloth of very fine texture, used for women's dresses.
1. Dalechamps suggests Hesperus.
2. The island "of the Blessed."
3. Now Capo Salomon.
4. From the Greek kriou= me/twpon, "the ram's forehead"; now called
Capo Crio.
5. Also called Elæa. Pococke speaks of it as a promontory called
Chaule-burnau.
6. Hardouin calls it Chisamo.
7. The modern Khania. The quince derived its Latin name, "Malum
Cydonium," from this district, to which it was indigenous. From its
Latin name it was called melicotone by the writers of the Elizabethan
period.
8. Now Minolo, according to Hardouin.
9. The port of Apteron, or Aptera, which Mr. Pashley supposes to be
denoted by the ruins of Palæokastro; he also thinks that its port was
at or near the modern Kalyres.
10. Now La Suda, according to Hardouin, who says that Rhithymna is
called Retimo; Panormus, Panormo; and Cytæum, Setia.
11. Supposed by Ansart to have stood in the vicinity of the modern city
of Candia.
12. Strabo says that it stood on the narrowest part of the island, opposite
Minoa. Vestiges of it have been found at the Kastéle of Hierapetra.
Its foundation was ascribed to the Corybantes.
13. Now Lionda.
14. Next to Cnossus in splendour and importance. Mr. Pashley places
its site near the modern Haghius Dheka, the place of the martyrdom of
the ten Saints, according to tradition, in the Decian persecution.
15. It has been remarked, that Pliny is mistaken here if he intends to
enumerate Cnossus among the towns of the interior of Crete. The only
remains of this capital of Crete, situate on the north of the island, are
those seen at Makro-Teikho, or the "Long Walls," so called from the
masses of Roman brick-work there seen.
16. Though an inland town, it probably stood in the vicinity of the
headland or promontory of the same name, which is now called Kavo
Stavro. Many of these names are utterly unknown.
17. One of the most important towns of Crete, on the N.W. slope of
Mount Ida, about fifty stadia from the port of Astale. Mr. Pashley
says that some remains probably of tills place are still to be seen on a
hill near a place called Eletherna, five miles south of the great convent
of Arkadhi.
18. The loftiest point of the mountain-range that traverses the island of
Crete from west to east. Its head is covered with snow. The modern
name is Psiloriti, looking down on the plain of Mesara. The word Ida
is supposed to mean a mountain in which mines are worked, and the
Idæi Dactyli of Crete were probably among the first workers in iron and
bronze. The position of Mount Cadistus, belonging to the range of
White Mountains, has been fixed by Hoeck at Cape Spadha, the most
northerly point of the island. It is thought that Pliny and Solinus are
in error in speaking of Cadistus and Dictynnæus as separate peaks,
these being, both of them, names of the mountain of which the cape was
formed; the latter name having been given in later times, from the
worship and temple there of Dictynna.
19. Now Grabusa, the N.W. promontory of Crete.
20. Now Ras-al-Sem, or Cape Rasat, in Africa. The distance, according
to Brotier, is in reality about 225 miles.
21. Now Skarpanto.
22. According to Hardouin, all of these are mere rocks rather than
islands.
23. The modern Haghios Theodhoros.
24. According to Hoeck, they are now called Turlure.
25. Now called Standiu.
26. Now Capo Xacro, on the east, though Cape Salomon, further north,
has been suggested. In the latter case, the Grandes islands would
correspond with Onisia and Leuce, mentioned by Pliny.
27. Now Gaidurognissa. None of the other islands here mentioned seem
to have been identified.
28. Between Eubœa and Locris. They are now called Ponticonesi.
29. Now Koluri. It is memorable for the naval battle fought off its
coast, when Xerxes was defeated by the Greeks, B.C. 480.
30. Now called Lypsokutali.
31. Now Makronisi, or "the Long Island." Its ancient name was also
Macris. Strabo identifies it with the Homeric Cranaë, to which Paris
fled with Helen.
32. Usually called Cea, one of the Cyclades, about thirteen miles S.E. of
Sunium. Its modern name is Zea. Iulis was the most important town,
and the birth-place of the poets Simonides and Bacchylides, of the
sophist Prodicus, the physician Erasistratus, and the Peripatetic
philosopher Ariston. Extensive remains of it still exist.
33. There are considerable remains of this town, called by the inhabit-
ants Stais Palais.
34. Or Coresia. It was the harbour of Iulis, to which place we learn
from Strabo that its inhabitants were transferred.
35. On the S.W. side of the island. Its ruins are inconsiderable, but
retain their ancient name.