DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7519#0038
THE ISLAND 3
effects of the jealousy of the three big towns can be seen in the
ruinous condition of many ports which were once prosperous.
It is not only jealousy, however, which has in comparatively
recent times concentrated the trade on the North coast. Two
other factors have combined. First, modern ships must ride
at anchor ; they cannot be beached as was the universal custom
. antiquity. Secondly, the coastline has changed considerably
since Roman times. At some time in the sixth century a great
submarine movement took place which tilted the whole island
a^ if on a pivot. As a result the West end was raised in
P aces as much as 26 feet out of the water so that the artificial
arbour of Phalasarna on the West coast is now well above
sea level and some 150 yards inland, while a corresponding
ubsidence in the East has caused the disappearance of many
the stretches of sand on to which the ships were hauled,
and has swallowed up parts of the ancient towns.1
> however, one takes account of the amount of elevation
r subsidence and redraws the coastline to conform with the
miralty soundings, it will be found that in every case the
anOent settlements had either a good beach or the protection
fro3 rCC^ n°W suhmt-'rged. Other effects of the earthquakes
lat ^ W^'cn tne island has so frequently suffered will be noted
er- It is sufficient here to point out how materially one
• Pne, has affected the whole physical conformation of the
island.2 v
w H^u*6 'S aDout 250 kilometres (156 miles) long. Its greatest
the ^ fr°m Cape Stavros' West of Candia to CaPe Kephala,
ancient Leon, a distance of 57 kilometres (about 36 miles).
e isthmus of Ilierapetra, however, is only 12 kilometres
nome')ratt| ^' 2-*° ant* Pass,m> was tne nrst to recognize this phe-
the A10k' •i^S to "ts cxact date, Professor Newberry tells me that
Was historian Masaud records that in the year a.d. 535 there
sank ^cat earthquake in the Delta as a result of which the land
salt 1'I e 868 came in, destroying many towns and forming the
Prese S' e'evat'on °f tne West end of Crete accounts for the
the ot^ to"^ay °f on'y one °f the Mousagorai Islands, Elaphonisi ;
Promo tW° WCre "° doubt Palaiokhora Selinou and Trakhila
°f thcntOri0S l'1C ^ast t'le 's'and °f Mokhlos was once part
harbours03"1'3"1'' t*l° 'stnrnus> now sunk, providing it with two
Pseir 1 die water supply was also altered at various times,
yet th'13S n°W n° sPr'nK- The earliest cisterns are Greco-Roman,
t'mes th * p.rosPerous settlement here from the earliest Minoan
bm,„ i fOU8h it is over 2 miles from the coast and is often storm-
Und for days at a time.
effects of the jealousy of the three big towns can be seen in the
ruinous condition of many ports which were once prosperous.
It is not only jealousy, however, which has in comparatively
recent times concentrated the trade on the North coast. Two
other factors have combined. First, modern ships must ride
at anchor ; they cannot be beached as was the universal custom
. antiquity. Secondly, the coastline has changed considerably
since Roman times. At some time in the sixth century a great
submarine movement took place which tilted the whole island
a^ if on a pivot. As a result the West end was raised in
P aces as much as 26 feet out of the water so that the artificial
arbour of Phalasarna on the West coast is now well above
sea level and some 150 yards inland, while a corresponding
ubsidence in the East has caused the disappearance of many
the stretches of sand on to which the ships were hauled,
and has swallowed up parts of the ancient towns.1
> however, one takes account of the amount of elevation
r subsidence and redraws the coastline to conform with the
miralty soundings, it will be found that in every case the
anOent settlements had either a good beach or the protection
fro3 rCC^ n°W suhmt-'rged. Other effects of the earthquakes
lat ^ W^'cn tne island has so frequently suffered will be noted
er- It is sufficient here to point out how materially one
• Pne, has affected the whole physical conformation of the
island.2 v
w H^u*6 'S aDout 250 kilometres (156 miles) long. Its greatest
the ^ fr°m Cape Stavros' West of Candia to CaPe Kephala,
ancient Leon, a distance of 57 kilometres (about 36 miles).
e isthmus of Ilierapetra, however, is only 12 kilometres
nome')ratt| ^' 2-*° ant* Pass,m> was tne nrst to recognize this phe-
the A10k' •i^S to "ts cxact date, Professor Newberry tells me that
Was historian Masaud records that in the year a.d. 535 there
sank ^cat earthquake in the Delta as a result of which the land
salt 1'I e 868 came in, destroying many towns and forming the
Prese S' e'evat'on °f tne West end of Crete accounts for the
the ot^ to"^ay °f on'y one °f the Mousagorai Islands, Elaphonisi ;
Promo tW° WCre "° doubt Palaiokhora Selinou and Trakhila
°f thcntOri0S l'1C ^ast t'le 's'and °f Mokhlos was once part
harbours03"1'3"1'' t*l° 'stnrnus> now sunk, providing it with two
Pseir 1 die water supply was also altered at various times,
yet th'13S n°W n° sPr'nK- The earliest cisterns are Greco-Roman,
t'mes th * p.rosPerous settlement here from the earliest Minoan
bm,„ i fOU8h it is over 2 miles from the coast and is often storm-
Und for days at a time.