Roman Period

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The Roman attack against Crete began in 69 BC, when Quintus Caecilius Metellus landed on the western part of the island. By 67 BC the whole island had fallen to the Romans. The locals, exhausted by civil wars, did not really resist. After the conquest, the island became a Roman Province unified with Cyrenaica, the city of Gortys being its capital. After the reform of Diocletian, around 295-297 AD, Crete was subjected to the division of Moesia and later to the division of Macedonia in the Province of Illyricum, where it remained until the 7th century.
The Roman conquest put an end to the civil wars and was followed by a long period of peace, which allowed many of the island’s cities to flourish. The capital Gortys became the largest city on the island. The impressive ruins of the Praetorium, the large theaters, the elegant Odeion, the size of the hippodrome and the numerous statues, brought to light in excavations, attest its size and wealth. Other important cities were Knossos, which was colonized by the Romans, Lappa, Kydonia, Ierapytna, Olous, Lyttos and Chersonessos, which enjoyed a great economic prosperity because of its remarkable port.