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Lissos, Crete
Lissos is on the South Coast of Western Crete, a Greek island located in the Mediterranean Sea and south of the Cycladic Islands centered around Delos. Lissos was a relatively well known city in Crete from the 4th century BCE to 7-9th century CE; it lived through Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Medieval eras. In the 4th century BCE, Lissos was in the League/ Federation of the Oreians with the cities of Elyros, Tarra, Poikilassos, Syia, and Yrtakina. The exact function of this Federation is not known, but it could have been formed for economic or military reasons. Lissos was near the harbor of Elyros, an important Dorian city. Dorians were one of the four divisions of Greek people; Ionians are another division. Lissos was known as a healing center; it was said that the thermal waters located there had special, divine properties. Sick people from around the Mediterranean world came here to recuperate! The Temple of Asclepius is also here—Asclepius was the god of medicine and ancient Greek doctors. According to mythology, he was the son of Apollo and Coronis (a mortal). It is said that Coronis took a mortal lover, so Apollo murdered her. However, while she was on her funeral pyre, Apollo cut his son, Asclepius, out of her womb. Therefore, Asclepius means “to cut open.” He was later educated by the wise centaur, Chiron. The temple at Lissos has wonderful, intact mosaics from the 2nd century BCE (?), and mud-brick foundations with marble veneers. Some columns and bases of the cult statues remain, but the actual statues are in the Chania Archaeological Museum.
Roman and Byzantine Eras
There are also extensive Roman ruins here, including a theater, baths, tombs, and an aqueduct. There area is still being excavated, but rounded arches and roman brick buildings are discernible. In the Roman necropolis, votive figures have also been found. During the Byzantine era, two chapels were built on earlier Christian ruins. The first is the Chapel of Agios Kyrikos. St. Kyrikos was killed, along with his mother, by the ruler of Tarsus. The orders for their murder came from the Roman emperor Diocletian (ruled 284-305 CE), who persecuted many Christians with Galerius. Also during the Byzantine period, Lissos was a bishop’s seat of the Christian church (it was pretty important—it even had a navy some sources say!) Lissos was also significant because it had a mint with coins that said “of the Lisians” on one side; the other side had images of Artemis. An earthquake struck the town in the 9-10th century CE, and the inhabitants vacated the area. No one officially lives there today.
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| View of Lissos’ beach |
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| Crete (Lissos is in the bottom left corner) |
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| Chapel of St.Kyrikos |
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| Aerial view of Temple of Asclepius |
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