Εμφανίζονται 6 τίτλοι με αναζήτηση: Πληροφορίες για τον τόπο για το τοπωνύμιο: "ΑΠΤΕΡΑ Αρχαία πόλη ΣΟΥΔΑ".
On a steep-sided plateau (231 m) just inland from Kalami on the S
side of entrance to Suda Bay. Various attempts were made in antiquity to explain
the name: e.g., that this was the site of the song contest of the Muses and Sirens;
the latter lost their wings when defeated (Steph. Byz. s.v. Aptera; ‘aptera’ =
‘wingless’); another legend has an eponymous hero Apteros. The city's name may
in fact derive from the epithet of Artemis there (see below). The foundation of
the city is variously ascribed to Glaukos of Cyrene or Pteras of Delphi.
There are few literary references to the city's history: archers from
A. fought for Sparta in the second Messenian war (late 7th c.; Paus. 4.20.8);
in 220 B.C. the city was forced by Polyrrhenia to desert its alliance with Knossos
(Polyb. 4.55.4). A little can be gleaned from inscriptions: A. probably supported
Sparta against Pyrrhos (272) and in the Chremonidean war (267/6-1); at this time
it had links with Ptolemaic Egypt but was strangely absent from the alliances
with Miletos (mid 3d c.); Scipios and their staff were honored there (189) as
well as pro-Roman Achaeans (early 2d c.), Attalus I or II, and Prusias II. The
city joined the treaty with Eumenes (183).
Impressive city walls indicate prosperity in the Early Hellenistic
period, and wide commercial and political contacts are attested by a series of
proxeny decrees (mainly 2d c.); the city's position at the mouth of the safest
anchorage in Crete was of benefit. However, Aptera seems to have declined before
the Roman Conquest, perhaps becoming dependent on its powerful neighbor Kydonia.
Archaeological evidence of continued settlement through the Early Byzantine period
is confirmed by a mention in Hierokles (650.11) and references to bishops of Aptera
(Notitiae 8.227; 9.136). Geographical sources refer to it, usually as an inland
city, without much detail: [Scylax] 47; Strab. 10.4.13, p. 479; Dion. Call. 122f.;
Plin. HN 4.12.59 (Minoium Apteron are two separate sites); Ptol. Geogr. 3.5.7;
Stad. 344 (confusion with Minoa?); Rav. Cosm. V.21; Steph. Byz. s.v. The form
Aptara was apparently the usual one in Crete, and Aptera outside: coins have Aptara,
inscriptions both, literary texts mostly Aptera. Coins portray a number of deities,
especially Artemis Aptera, who seems to have been the chief deity (related to
Diktynna and associated with initiation rites: see Willetts). Coins also commonly
depict an armed man, Ptolioikos (the hero Apteros?), a bee, a torch, and a bow.
Coinage started ca. 330 and ceased well before the Roman Conquest; there was none
under Roman rule.
Pashley first correctly identified the site, previously thought to
be Minoa or Amphimalla. Considerable remains survive, though nowhere to full height,
of the city walls which are 4 km long, probably of 3d c. date, and all of one
period despite differences in style. They surround the entire plateau, some of
which was probably not built on even at times of maximum population. The work
is particularly solid (2.4-2.8 m thick) on the W side, the normal approach at
least from the Hellenistic period and the easiest route of access. The main gate
is set at an oblique angle and flanked by towers; farther S is another tower shielding
a sally port. Only traces survive of the wall line along the S and central N side,
and on the NW side the work is rougher (with a steep drop outside). On the E side
the terrain is rougher and the plateau edge irregular; the wall course is correspondingly
irregular. The E gate (now Sideroporta) lay where the wall crossed a deep gully
running into the site from the NE. Earlier the city may have been more clearly
oriented towards the plain to the E, and there are possible traces of early defenses
farther up the gully and around a low hill near the E side of the city, S of the
gully, which seems to have been the acropolis; only rock cuttings survive on its
top.
Apart from the city walls, the most striking ancient remains are the
two great cisterns in the center of the site on the S side of the main gully (since
these, like the walls, remained in use for centuries, they escaped demolition
in the Early Byzantine period when all other ancient buildings were stripped of
reusable building material; the walls suffered more during Venetian and Turkish
fortification of Suda Bay). Both cisterns were built of concrete faced with brick
and then mortar. One (W of the monastery of St. John of Patmos) has one aisle
and turns at a right angle (6.3 m clear width). The other (NE of the monastery)
has three barrel-vaulted aisles divided by two rows of four longitudinal arched
piers (overall size 24.7 x 18.5 x 8.2 m high); it is of Roman date, at least in
its final form (with barrel vaults). To the SW of the monastery is a small double-cella
temple (cf. Sta. Lenika) of careful, heavily clamped ashlar (5th-4th c.); later,
graves were put inside and a mediaeval building over it. Behind is a terrace wall
(associated with Protogeometric-Geometric sherds?). Nearby to the SE, a wall containing
a number of (mainly proxeny) inscriptions was seen by Pococke and Pashley and
excavated by Wescher (1862-64) but largely demolished in the 1890s; three more
inscriptions were found in 1928. They may be in situ, not reused, and perhaps
associated with the prytaneion. The wall has now entirely disappeared, but nearby
is a 7th-8th c. church. To the E of this is a Roman apsidal building (bouleuterion?),
with W wall, of poor concrete work with three niches, partly surviving. To the
S of this, Early Byzantine houses have been excavated, and others of this period
N of the cisterns.
The small theater lay inside the S city wall; the cavea (diam. 55
m) and orchestra (diam. 18 m) are now a simple hollow covered with stone. Diazoma,
some seats and the paraskenia are still visible, but little of the stage building
(25 x 6 m). Remains of brick walls attest alterations in the Roman period. To
the E of the theater are traces of a small Doric temple (of Dionysos?). Between
the acropolis (?) and E city wall is a small, poorly preserved temple of the Early
Roman period: distyle in antis, with two statue bases in front; it was perhaps
a Temple of Demeter and Kore (excavated 1958). The earlier attribution to it of
bull statues is probably wrong. The existence of a temple under the Turkish Fort
Izzedin at the NE corner of the site is uncertain.
Sherds of all periods from Classical (a few) to Early Byzantine and
later cover the site. The main area of occupation in earlier periods was in the
larger part S of the gully; remains in the N part seem to be mostly Byzantine
or later. Buildings were probably never closely crowded. In the Roman period the
city probably became rather agricultural in character. The site was destroyed
in the Arab conquest and probably not reoccupied until Venetian times.
The necropolis lay on the saddle to the W near Megala Choraphia and
contained rock-cut graves as well as chamber tombs of Late Classical-Roman times
and an earlier pithos burial. Some rock-cut graves found within the city walls
(S side) indicate lack of habitation there. The port was at Kisamos; Aptera is
thought by some to have controlled Minoa across the bay entrance. To the W is
Mt. Malaxa (ancient Berekynthos), where the Idaean Daktyloi lived, legendary inventors
of metallurgy (Diod. 5.64.5).
D. J. Blackman, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
A city of Crete about eighty stadia from Cydonia. Its name was said to be derived from the result of a contest in music held at this place between the Sirens and the Muses, when the former, being defeated, were so affected that their wings dropped from their shoulders
This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Στα Απτερα υπάρχουν ελληνικά, ρωμαϊκά και βυζαντινά ερείπια καθώς
κι ένα τουρκικό φρούριο. Στην κορυφή θα δείτε ένα πέρασμα στα δεξιά που οδηγεί
στα βυζαντινά και τα ρωμαϊκά ερείπια. Από το σημείο αυτό μπορείτε να θαυμάσετε
τα Λευκά Όρη αν κοιτάξετε νότια προς την Κοιλάδα του Στύλου. Η θέα είναι καταπληκτική
ιδιαίτερα την άνοιξη όταν τα βουνά είναι καλυμμένα με χιόνι.Τα ?πτερα υπήρξαν
μια από τις πιο δυνατές πόλεις της Κρήτης. Ο μύθος λέει ότι τα Απτερα (χωρίς φτερά)
απόκτησαν το όνομά τους από την ήττα των Σειρήνων σε μουσικό αγώνα.Οι Μούσες έκοψαν
τα φτερά των Σειρήνων και όταν οι Σειρήνες προσπάθησαν να πετάξουν έπεσαν στο
νερό και σχημάτισαν τα μικρά νησιά του κόλπου της Σούδας.
Τα Απτερα υπήρχαν από τα Μινωικά Χρόνια, αφού το όνομά τους συναντιέται
στις πλάκες της Κνωσού. Κατά τα Ελληνιστικά Χρόνια αποτέλεσε μια πολύ ισχυρή πόλη-κράτος
και συμμετείχε στους κρητικούς πολέμους. Η πόλη είχε δύο λιμάνια. Το πρώτο, η
Μινώα, βρισκόταν στο βόρειο τμήμα του λιμανιού της Σούδας, εκεί που σήμερα τοποθετείται
το Μαράθι, ενώ το δεύτερο βρισκόταν στην άλλη μεριά του λιμανιού, όπου σήμερα
είναι το Καλάμι (Καλύβες). Τα λιμάνια έλεγχαν την είσοδο στον προστατευμένο κόλπο
της Σούδας.
Τα Απτερα συνέχισαν να είναι μια ισχυρή πόλη κατά τα Ρωμαϊκά και τα
πρώτα Βυζαντινά Χρόνια, αλλά το 823 μ.Χ. καταστράφηκαν από τους Αραβες. Οι Βενετοί
έχτισαν ένα φρούριο εδώ, που όμως και αυτό καταστράφηκε από τον πειρατή Μπαρμπαρόσα.
Η πόλη άκμασε μέχρι την αραβική κατοχή, κατά τη διάρκεια της οποίας
καταστράφηκε και εγκαταλείφτηκε μέχρι που ξανακατοικήθηκε από τους Βυζαντινούς.
Τα εντυπωσιακά κυκλώπεια τείχη της πόλης, που κάποτε είχαν μήκος 4 χιλιόμετρα,
φαίνονται ακόμα σε πολλά μέρη. Στη μέση αυτής της περιοχής βρίσκεται ένας μικρός
ναός που χρονολογείται από τους Κλασικούς Χρόνους (2ος αιώνας π.Χ.). Φημολογείται
ότι ο ναός ήταν αφιερωμένος σ' ένα ζευγάρι θεών, το οποίο πιθανότατα είναι η Δήμητρα
και η Κόρη.
Στην ευρύτερη περιοχή του Δήμου σώζεται η αρχαία πόλη - κράτος "ΑΠΤΕΡΑ". Η ίδρυση της πόλης τοποθετείται στην γεωμετρική εποχή. Η Απτέρα ως σημαντικότατη πόλη - κράτος της Κρήτης έπαιξε συχνά καθοριστικό ρόλο στα ιστορικά δρώμενα του νησιού, στην εσωτερική και εξωτερική του πολιτική. Η περίοδος όμως κατά την οποία η πόλη γνώρισε την μεγαλύτερη ακμή της ήταν τα πρώιμα ελληνιστικά χρόνια. Σώζεται το τείχος της πόλης σε μήκος περίπου τεσσάρων χιλιομέτρων. Εκτός από τα τείχη τα εντυπωσιακότερα από τα σωζόμενα αρχαία οικοδομήματα είναι οι θολωτές δεξαμενές της εποχής της Ρωμαιοκρατίας, "διμερές ιερό" με επιμελημένη δόμηση που χρονολογείται στον 5ο έως 4ο αιώνα π.χ. καθώς και μικρό κατεστραμμένο θέατρο με διαζώματα λαξευτά στο βράχο. Αντιπροσωπευτικά ευρήματα (αγγεία , νομίσματα, ειδώλια, επιγραφές, γλυπτά και άλλα μικροαντικείμενα) εκτίθενται στο αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Χανίων.
Apteria, Apteron, Eth. Apteraios (Palaeokastron). A city of Crete situated to the E. of Polyrrhenia, and 80 stadia from Cydonia (Strab. x. p. 479). Here was placed the scene of the legend of the contest between the Sirens and the Muses, when after the victory of the latter, the Sirens lost the feathers of their wings from their shoulders, and having thus become white cast themselves into the sea, - whence the name of the city Aptera, and of the neighbouring islands Leucae. (Steph. B. s. v.) It was at one time in alliance with Cnossus, but was afterwards compelled by the Polyrrhenians to side with them against that city. (Pol. iv. 55.) The port of Aptera according to Strabo was Cisamos. Mr. Pashley (Travels, vol. i. p. 48) supposes that the ruins of Palaeokastron belong to Aptera, and that its port is to be found at or near Kalyves. Diodorus (v. 64) places Berecynthos in the district of the Apteraeans. (The old reading was emended by Meursius, Creta, p. 84.) This mountain has been identified with the modern Malaxa, which from its granitic and schistose basis complies with the requisite geological conditions for the existence of metallic veins; if we are to believe that bronze and iron were here first discovered, and bestowed on man by the Idaean Dactyls.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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