Chersonesos (Lyctus)
Cherronesos or Chersonesos. Chersonisos Pediados.Powerful city of Crete in the northern coast of the island. It was port of Lyktos, between Herakleion and Olous. Plutarch says that the city was established by the children of the citizens of Imbros and Lesbos islands. The mothers of those children were Athenians, which had been abducted. Those children married Spartan women. They were exiled from Sparta.
They took money, ships and their leaders were the Spartans Pollis, Delphos and Kratais. The story is true, since on seal with Hieroglyphics from Lyttos, we read Spartan dialect. Those residents brought with them a statue of Artemis. Strabo cites a Temple of Artemis Britomartys, the Cretan goddess, which was represented, on the coins of Cherronesos.
The city joined the Republic of Cretans and allied with Eumenes B’ of Pergamos. In inscriptions of the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, the city is cited as “seaside Lyttos”. The citizens of the two cities are considered relatives and they had close economical intercourse. In an inscription, we read that the citizens of both cities were considered Lyttians: “those of the Lyttians, the inhabitants of the upper city and that in the sea.” The excavations at Limenas Chersonisou unearthed signs of Minoan settlement.
In the Classical period, the acropolis was at peninsular side of the coast. There have been found relics of Roman theatre, houses and port. At the location where the Church of Agios Nikolaos is now, there was the temple of Artemis Britomartys. Marinatos found their inscription of verse couple that is dedicated to Britomartys, of the 1st century BC. At Poli location, there was found inscription on marble stone that had the decree between Knossians and Gortynians.
There were also found fragments of statues and architectonic parts of structures. The city was watered by water supplies. At the 25th kilometre of the road Potamies – Lasithi, there are ruins of huge water-bridge. The location is called Xerokamares. Many coins of Chersonisos have the head of Artemis, naked Apollo seated on tree trunk, holding his lyre. Other coins have Heracles or Athena and the word CHESRONASION. The city preserved its importance until the 1st Byzantine period. The city was under decline only in the Arabic dominion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chersonesos_%28Lyctus%29
