Listed 3 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for destination: "MYRTOS Village IERAPETRA".
A small Roman settlement situated about 15 km W of Hierapetra, on
the S coast. Minoan predecessors to the Roman settlement are sited 4 km E of Myrtos
(Fournou Korifi, EM II), and on a high, conical hill immediately overlooking the
Roman site (Pyrgos, EM III). In a circular building (shrine?) of Hellenistic date
over the LM villa at Pyrgos was found a broken votive inscription to Aphrodite,
Hermes, and all the gods (?). This suggests that the area was then part of the
territory of Hierapytna, for the cult of Aphrodite is known in E Crete only there.
The visible Roman remains are concentrated on the W side of the modern
village, on and immediately above the shore. The largest building to survive seems
to have served as a cistern, and a circular plastered and buttressed structure
NE of it may have fulfilled the same function. It may, however, be part of a bath
building, and immediately W of it are extensive traces of a building with hypocaust
heated rooms and at least two polychrome mosaics. This building, probably of 2d
c. date can be seen to overlie earlier Roman remains. Fragmentary walls and surface
finds can be traced over most of the area of the present village and the area
immediately W of it and suggest a settlement of no more than 2 hectares. Finds
from the site are mainly kept in the village school.
K. Branigan, 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.
Mirtos is 16km from Ierapetra and in the area of Mirtos and Nea Mirtos
there are important Minoan remains. Mirtos is a seaside village with a long beach.
There are tavernas and small hotels along the beach.
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