History of Crete

Crete has an extensive history which dates back to well before the time of Christ and it has seen a variety of occupiers and conflicts throughout its event-filled past. It has officially been a part of Greece for less than a century and while having some aspects of Greek culture, it has a distinct character and culture all of its own.

Early days

Crete saw settlers from a very early time with the arrival of the Minoans, a race named after King Minos, who according to legend, refused to sacrifice a bull to the Gods and consequently saw his wife fall in love with a bull, a punishment from Poseidon. The Minoans were a powerful civilisation who brought a period of relative prosperity to Crete, a period which saw its peak around 1600 BC.

It subsequently suffered a collapse, only to rise again with the arrival of the Dorian Greeks, during which time the cities of Knossos and Cydonia became especially significant. It was later conquered by the Romans under Quintus Metellus in the years 68 BC to 69 BC. The Byzantine period came next, followed by a period of Arab control before Crete was finally re-conquered by Nicephorus Phocas in 961 AD.

The Middle Ages

In 1204, the Venetians took control following the Fourth Crusade and later in 1212, after the expulsion of Genoese settlers, a new Venetian administration, with the duke as ruler, was established. However, more unrest ensued, as the Cretans rebelled against their Venetian controllers. When the Ottoman Turks conquered the island in 1669, following a fierce 24-year long war, the Cretans were pleased to see the back of their Venetian oppressors. The Venetians did however manage to maintain control of two offshore island fortresses until 1715.

Later times

As the 19th century arrived, the Cretans decided to revolt against their Turkish controllers and a series of battles ensued which reached a head in the year 1896 to 1897, with an insurrection that led to the commencement of war between Turkey and Greece. European powers stepped in, however, and forced the majority of Turks to leave Crete, a move which led to the creation of an autonomous Cretan state with only minor Turkish control.

The power of the state was held largely by a commission made up of England, France, Russia and Italy. The same bodies later rejected the Cretan National Assembly’s bid to be united with Greece; however, the Young Turk revolution of 1908 provided the Cretans with the opportunity to establish the desired unity. A year later, foreign troops were forced to withdraw from Cretan soil. The year 1912 saw the first Cretan representatives in the Greek government, while a year later, following the Balkan Wars, the island was officially incorporated into Greece.

During WWII, the island served as a military and naval base for the British and was eventually the destination for British and Greek evacuees, who fled the mainland in 1941.

In the period since the war, and especially the latter period of the 20th century, the island has grown to become prosperous and is now a popular holiday destination.