The
Byzantine Era -AD 395 to 1204:
When the Roman Emplre
established the city of Constantinople as a way of consolidating its
control over its eastern regions, Crete fell under the domination of what
then became the Byzantine Empire and the centre of Greek Christian
Orthodoxy. However, during a 150-year period from 824, it was occupied by
Saracen Arabs before being reclaimed by the Byzantians.
With the capture of
Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire was divided
among mainly Italian and French knights and the Republic of Venice (who
had financed the crusade) claimed Crete, after ousting its old rival, the
Genoese. As with other Venetian occupations in the Mediterranean, Crete
was a strategically-situated port-of-call which facilitated the trade on
which the Venetian economy was
After some local
resistance, Venetian and Cretan became reconciled. By the 17th century
Venetian and Greek nobility had eventually merged to produce what has been
termed 'the Cretan
Renaissance'- a period rich in architectural and cultural achievements,
especially in literature and painting. A famous Cretan artist to emerge
from this period is known to the world as El
Greco
However at the peak of
that shining era of achievment came the threat of the Ottoman Empire. In
1645, the Turks attacked and captured Chania, on the north westcoast.
Rethymnon fell next and
then, in 1648, the Turks turned their attention to Heraklion (then known
as Candia). Owing to its impressive fortifications (still in evidence)
Heraklion withstood a siege for a record 22 years before falling -and with
it, all Crete fell into the hands of the Turks.