GORTYN (Gortys)		Quality of Remains
		Ease of Access
		Atmosphere & Setting

History & Occupation:

Mentioned by both Homer and Plato, it is clear that Gortyn was a city of some size and wealth even in early days. It almost certainly dates back to the Minoan period and was one of the two most powerful civic centres on Crete even during the age of Classical Greece, when it vied with Knossos for control. When Roman occupation came to Crete, Gortyn accepted their rule willingly while other Cretan areas resisted. Consequently by 70 BC, Gortyn had expanded and become the Provincial capital of Crete and the area of north Africa called Cyrenaica. By the time of the fall of western Roman power, Gortyn had become a thoroughly Christianised city. The home of St Titus, first Bishop of Crete, it continued to flourish. An infamous event in the history of Roman Gortys was the execution of the ten Christian martyrs as remembered in the nearby village name 'Ayia Deka' or 'Ten Saints'. The end of Gortyn came in the 820s AD when the Arabs invaded Crete. Gortyn was destroyed and was never again inhabited.

Remains and Visit:

Though there is only a small area of the Roman city fenced off and preserved for tourists, Gortyn covers a massive area mostly underlying olive groves. It is quite possible to cover the entire area on foot, though be prepared for a long, hot journey. Our plan was to depart from the Church in the village of Ayia Deka and using a map work our way round all the sites to end at the complex by the roadside. We found it incredibly difficult to navigate our way through the never-ending olive groves and totally failed to locate the hippodrome and amphitheatre, both of which lie badly preserved somewhere in the southern area. Despite this, everywhere you go in the groves you will find scattered walls of buildings or fallen columns and it really is a sight to behold. Eventually you will likely come across the area known as the Great Gate. Here are the remains of a bath house and close by a theatre (one of at least three in the city!) This is ruinous but was being excavated in 2003 when we visited. Not far from here are a cluster of better sites. A badly preserved temple of Isis and the Egyptian Gods and Nymphaeum remain in the area. The Praetorium, centre of government and home of the Roman Governor's residence, includes a three-aisled basilica dating from the 4th Century AD and a set of baths that may have been the Governor's private bath house. This complex is an area of ongoing excavation. Close to the Praetorium lie the ruins of the Temple of Apollo Pythios. Probably dating originally to the era of Classical Greek power, this building had been thoroughly Romanised and the remains include a magnificent altar. Close to these central remains the arches of an aqueduct march through the olive groves towards the main road and the main tourist complex of Gortyn. Just off the road is a visitor centre and museum and a fully excavated area of the city. The most impressive remains here are those of the Odeon (a small theatre designed for poetry readings and music recitals.) The arches of the cavea and the seating itself is clearly visible, along with the shape of the stage. The main point of interest here though is the presence of the famous Gortyn Law Codes. At one time the Odeon had been rebuilt using stones from other public buildings and a large number of the stones forming the outer wall of the building bear the largest Greek inscription ever found, detailing the laws of the city during the pre-Roman period. In the same excavated area lie the ruins of the Byzantine church of Ayios Titos (St Titus) believed to be the saint's burial place. Only one end of the church still stands, testament to its destruction by the Arabs. The city stretches over a vast area and on the hill opposite the excavated area stands an acropolis with byzantine walls and another theatre on the lower slope. A visit to the local village of Metropolis reveals yet more remains. It is difficult to go anywhyere in a four mile radius and not find some remnant of Gortyn. Take a day and explore.

Images:

The Odeon	Odeon detail	The law codes	Church of Ayios Titios	Aqueduct
Temple of Pythian Apollo	Praetorium	'Great gate'	Theatre	Columns in an olive grove
Plan of the site