Even today, the Cretan town of Lissos can only be reached by sea or a seemingly endless hike across the stunning landscape and mountains that surround it. Despite previous excavations uncovering abundant discoveries, its isolated location has complicated access over the years, as well as protecting Lissos from the incursions of modern-day tourism. Nevertheless, excavations at Lissos have resumed after decades, bringing to light the ruins of a Roman theater which may have been used for musical contests, lectures and even city council meetings.
The Valley of Lissos on the island of Crete. ( ksl / Adobe Stock)
The Ancient City of Lissos
Located across the Mediterranean Sea from Cyrene, a major ancient Greek city in present-day Libya, Lissos was probably an important Mediterranean trading port on the island of Crete. Located within the fertile Ai Kyrkos Valley, the port of Lissos was protected by mountains and faced the southwest Sea of Crete. An independent city and a religious center, Lissos also had powerful trading and fishing fleets during the third century BC, according to the Greek Reporter .
Inscriptions and coins from that time reveal that the city allied with King Magas of Cyrene and was a member of the League of Oreians. The League included the cities of Lissos, Syia, Poikilassos, Tarrha, Yrtakina and Elyrus.
First excavated in the 1950s by archaeologist Nikolaos Platon, excavations of the ancient port have revealed relatively well-preserved structures from various time periods in…
