Crete lies in the middle of the Mediterranean basin, at an equal distance from Europe, Asia and Africa. Due to its highly advantageous geographical location, the island is characterized by a rare, almost unique, combination of geographical as well as climatological conditions. It's length, from the most eastern point of cape Sidero to the most western point of the Grambousa cape, is 260 Km. It's maximum width is 56 km between the Stavros cape and the cape of Lithinon, while the island 's width at the isthmus of Ierapetra hardly exceeds 12 km.

Crete gives the impression of a mountainous island. Indeed it looks like a huge longitudinal rock in the middle of the sea. In the middle of the island, the Psiloritis massif rises majestically at a height of 2456m. A worthy competitor to the West, the White Mountains or Madares, rises almost as high (2452 m.). To the East, the mountain range of Dikti reaches as high as 2l48 m. In between, short mountain ranges are flanked by verdant valleys, vineyard and olive grove bedecked hills, small rivers, numerous streams, and a few plains. The largest plain of Crete, Messara, lies in the southern part of the Heraklion prefecture. This geographical configuration of Crete is really unique because it combines elements of the North and of the South, of Europe and of Africa. Variations in landscape and climatological conditions are so distinct that the whole vista may change within a few kilometers. It's natural beauties please and captivate the eye. It's richness and variety in flora and fauna are unparalleled. Cedar and mountainous cypress trees coexist with olive trees, palm trees and banana trees. In many parts along the south coast, the winter is so mild that swallows never migrate to the South. A huge variety of cultivation and agricultural products render the island self-sufficient. The island is rich in spite of its seemingly mountainous character.

Crete has turned its face to Europe and its back to Africa. The north coast is rich with deep inlets, bays and inviting ports, while the south coast is remote, sharp, inhospitable, with few inlets and with only one noteworthy port, that of Ierapetra. This configuration accounts for the development and prosperity of northern over southern Crete.

However, the island is rather famous for its long and rich history, as well as for its contribution to European civilization. Its historical background extends over a long period of time and comprises a number of different events. The island acquired its own particular physiognomy through the centuries. It is no exaggeration to say that is no other place in Greece has such an age-old and rich historical and cultural tradition than Crete.

During Neolithic times, the dawn of Cretan civilization, the island has always played a leading role is shaping historical events of Greek and European significance. Crete is justifiably considered the cradle of European civilization. Site excavations at Knossos unearthed the oldest (around 6000 B.C.) Neolithic settlement of the island, while other evidence supports the claim that the oldest and most significant contra of prehistoric civilization in Europe flourished in Crete during the Age of Copper. Populous urban centers, high and intricate palaces, well-organized social, financial and religious life, refined manners of social behavior and impressive art creations are the features of its civilization during the famous Minoan Age (about 3000 - 1100 A. C.). Smaller centers such as Malia, Faestos, Zakros, Gournia, Archanes developed during the same period. In modern times surging archaeological interest focused on central and eastern Crete where archaeologists brought to light Minoan settlements, explored caves of worship, and identified peak sanctuaries. The impressive findings of archaeological research and excavations are displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. They present a vivid picture of Minoan civilization, the oldest in Europe. The echo of this bright period of Cretan civilization reverberated in fine legends and in the poetic traditions of ancient Greece. Minos, Pasiphae, the Minotaur, Ariadne, Daedalus and Icarus, and later, Zeus and Europa are some of the most rich and fascinating subjects of Greek mythology closely associated to Crete. At about 1400 B. C. a tremendous eruption of the Thira volcano destroyed this brilliant civilization and enfeebled Minoan superiority at sea. The Achaean invasion from Peloponnese followed the natural disaster of the big coastal centers of Crete. The invaders occupied the centers of the island and became the new rulers. Crete was gradually transformed into a Mycenaean colony, subject to the powerful house of Atreides. This explains Homer's reference to seven Cretan towns that participated in the Trojan War. These towns were: Knossos, Gortys (or Gortyn), Milatos, Lykastos, Faestos, Lyttos, Rition.

At about 1100, Dorians, the third and most powerful Greek tribe, moved from the North towards southern Greece. The Mycenaean Kingdoms fell apart and civilization was confined to forms of strict military life The Dorian invasion of Crete must have had disastrous consequences. There is evidence of mass movement towards the coast of Asia Minor, while the developed and refined life of the Minoan and of the Achaean inhabitants of Crete gave way to the strict military life of the Dorians, a fact that did not favor further cultural development. The integration of Minoans, Achaeans and Dorians gave rise to a new ethnological and cultural reality on the island. Dorian elements predominate life, in particular language. Thus, Crete inaugurated its historical period with Dorian influences. In Greece, Crete and Sparta were strictly Dorian influences. In Greece, Crete and Sparta were strictly Dorian territories. It seems that the old Minoans managed to retreat to the eastern part of the island, in particular to the region of ERA number of third century B. C. inscriptions found in that area - one of them being the famous hymn of Curitian Zeus - confirm the survival of the pre-Hellenes.

The Dorian invasion gave rise to a period of decay and cultural poverty. A rebirth during the ninth and eighth century B.C. was only temporary. Crete became isolated from the rest of Greece and went through a strange neutrality for many centuries. It remained almost indifferent to developments taking place in Greece during the archaic and classical years. Cultural and artistic creations were limited.

However, stagnation in art and letters was substituted by the internal organization of towns and by legislation. The great philosophers and state experts of antiquity, Plato and Aristotle, extolled the Cretan state, specifically its wise legislative system as is reflected in the remarkable inscription (the code) of Gortyn, the so called "queen of inscriptions" The isolation of Crete lasted until the end of the fourth century. Crete was the main target of the expansionist aspirations of the Ptolemies and of other Hellenistic kingdoms, while the successors of Alexander the Great were in power. Cretan towns signed treaties with such big naval powers as Alexandria, Rhodes, Antiochia; thus entered into the sphere of competition. During that period, the island was torn apart by civil disputes that, many at time, ended in bloodshed. Faestos, Lyttos, Rition.

Byzantine empire once more to become a great administrative region and Chandax its poetical, military and religious center To honor the patron saint of the town, Apostle Titus, a majestic church was erected in the same location where the homonym church stands today. During the second Byzantine period (961-1204), Crete maintained very close relations with Constantinople and evolved into a stronghold of the Byzantine idea. By the end of the eleventh century Byzantium imported to Crete an aristocracy of twelve grant families, the Archontopouli, the grounds for Byzantine sovereignty on the island. The descendants of these families became the leaders of numerous revolutions against the Venetians and the keepers of Byzantine tradition in Crete.

After the fall of Constantinople by the crusaders and the distribution of its territories, Crete was assigned to prince Boniface of Montferrat who ceded to the Doge of Venice, Eric Dandolos, for a nominal sum. The exceptionally advantageous position of Crete in the Mediterrranean would secure for Venice dominance over the seas and a vital link between its island dominions and the commercial centeres of the East.

The settlement of the Venetians of the island, and the organization of the new dominion, proudly referred to as the "Kingdom of Crete" (Regno di Candia), was met with fierce local resistance. It took years of hard fighting more than 150 years, to finally bend the resistance to the Cretans. The Venetians imported the administrative system of Venice. The island was divided into three big regions, and twenty provinces (Castellanie). Chandax was the largest of those regions (it also included the region of Lasithi), while the regions of Rethymnon and Chania were smaller. Chandax (Candia) also became the capital of the kingdom of Crete, the seat of the Duke of Crete and the headquarters of the supreme military and judicial authority. Prolonged cohabitation of Greek and Western elements in Crete created favorable conditions for cultural progress, particularly during the last two centuries of the Venetian era. The unencumbered communication with the West brought to Crete the air of European renaissance that influenced both art and letters. Cretan towns thrived with magnificent architectural and sculptural monuments. The Cretan School of Painting infused Byzantine painting with new air, particularly with regard to wall and movable paintings. The icons of Michael Damaskinos, some of which are found at the Museum of Agia

Aikaterini (Heraklion), are excellent tokens of the style and quality of Cretan painting Domemicos Theotokopoulos (El Greco), the glory of Crete, was born and educated in that artistic environment of Venetian dominated Chandax. Today we know that Theotokopoulos had already been an acknowledged painter before he emigrated to Europe.

Literature grew up in a similar manner. The flourishing, well developed urban society of Chandax, and that of other towns in Crete, was quite open to the currents of European Renaissance. It became the bearer of a magnificent civilization whose most brilliant expression is Cretan literature with such excellent works as Erophile by George Hortatzis and Erotocritos by Vincenzos Kornaros.

Numerous orthodox monasteries and learned clerics complete the canvas of intellectual life. Monasteries became centeres of Greek scholarship with schools, libraries and manuscript workshops. A huge number of literary codes, in European libraries today, originate from Cretan monasteries of that period.

This well promising development of Cretan civilization was violently interrupted by a Turkish invasion. In 1669, after a fierce and long-lasting war, the Cretan War (1645-1669), Chandax fell in the hands of the Turks; Crete entered its dark age. Mass executions, slavery, islamization and other brutal realities of war diminished the population Urban life, an essential prerequisite for cultural activity, Withered away along with the desolation of urban centeres; now mainly populated by Turks. Economy receded to rudimentary forms of agricultural and pastoral life; commerce disintegrated; art and letters were snuffed In addition, ruthless taxation and the untold suffering of the Cretans complete the picture of Crete in 1669.

The first 150 years of Turkish occupation (1669-1821) are the most dark period of Cretan history. Only Sphakia managed to flourish a little but its development was cut short by the unfortunate revolt of Daskaloyiannis (1770). Thus the whole country-side was devastated The so-called second period of Turkish occupation was a period of great revolutions (1821-1898). The uncompromising Cretan struggle for freedom and national sovereignty provided a measure for valour and for the freedom-loving spirit. Nine revolutions against the Turks took place in Crete. Each one started where the previous had stopped. All promoted the Cretan Question to its much desired solution.

In 1898, with the intervention of the Great Powers of Europe, the Cretan Question was resolved temporarily with the granting of autonomy and the organization of the Cretan State. This is a transitional period (1898-19I3), a preliminary stage to the union with Greece, which had been the final goal of the Cretan struggles.

Following the favorable for Greece outcome of the Balkan Wars, and the skillful diplomacy of Eleftherios Venizelos, the great offspring of Crete, the island was finally united with Greece (1 December l9I3).

After seven centuries of uninterrupted slavery, freedom finally nested in Crete. Twenty-four generations of Cretans expected that moment. They were never short of courage, patience, hope, faith, determination and solidarity. The canvas of Cretan history is intricately woven with dramatic ventures, untold suffering, torrents of bloodshed and tears, but also with glorious events and epic figures. The Cretans set a magnificent example to humanity: life, honor and freedom are gained only through willing sacrifices and with the burning of the heart.

From union onwards, the history of the island is interwoven with the history of Greece in general. Crete attracted world attention and admiration for the last time during the German invasion in 1941. The epic Battle of Crete and the resolute resistance of its people during German occupation are events of wider historical significance.

By Theoharis Detorakis