DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7519#0049
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF CRETE
7$ hours, and thence by Lake Kournas, the only lake in Crete,
called Korion or Koresion in antiquity, to Amphimalla in
about 4J hours more. A more direct route would be through
the Askiphos gorge in about 6|- hours.
Westwards from Anopolis the going is hard, but evidently
a route existed in antiquity which must have served Araden.
Beyond this it descends an almost sheer slide of shale for 2,000
feet to the shore, where there is a spring of water within a few
feet of the sea (PI. I, 2). Agia Aikaterine, where lie the
scanty remains of Tarrha, is reached in just over 4 hours.
The route North from here to Khania via the magnificent
gorge of Agia Roumeli (PI. I, 1) and the plain of Omalos
takes about 13 hours, but the time depends on how much water
is flowing in the gorge. Agia Aikaterine to Samaria may take
anything from 2 to 3J hours. West of Agia Aikaterine it is
impossible to take pack animals.
From Khania the road runs along the coast to Malemo,
crosses the base of cape Spadha, passes Nokhia, perhaps the
ancient Pergamos, Nopigia, perhaps Methymna, and reaches
Kisamos in about 7 hours. Another branch must have left
the main road at Nopigia to serve Rhokka and Polyrrhenia,
which it reaches in 3 J hours, thence to Kisamos in another hour.
Polyrrhenia was connected with its port at Phalasarna on the
West coast 60 stades away, as Strabo accurately says. From
Polyrrhenia to Mesogeia I have not walked, but I am told it
is about i£ hours. From thence to Phalasarna is if hours.
A rough coast road connects Phalasarna with the south-
western cities of Crete. It runs via the watch tower of Kastri,
perhaps the ancient Kale Akte, passes the mouth of the Ennea-
khoria valley, which may preserve the ancient name Inakhorion,
and leaving slightly to the West the small site at Khryso-
skaletissa monastery, turns up through Sklavopoula (? Doulou-
polis), thence descending to Palaiokhora or Selinou Kastelli in
about 17 hours. Another ancient route to the South must
be followed more or less by the modern car road from Kisamos
to Palaiokhora. From Palaiokhora the road runs up the
Vlythias ravine, passing the site of Kalamyde, to the ancient
Kantanos in 2 hours. From there it turns sharply eastwards
to Hyrtakina and Elyros 3 hours from Kantanos. From
Elyros a well-used track, obviously ancient from the rock-cut
tombs and the aqueduct beside it, leads down to Souia—the
ancient Syia—in i| hours. From this point a scramble of an
hour round the cliffs leads westwards to Agios Kirkos (Lissos)
7$ hours, and thence by Lake Kournas, the only lake in Crete,
called Korion or Koresion in antiquity, to Amphimalla in
about 4J hours more. A more direct route would be through
the Askiphos gorge in about 6|- hours.
Westwards from Anopolis the going is hard, but evidently
a route existed in antiquity which must have served Araden.
Beyond this it descends an almost sheer slide of shale for 2,000
feet to the shore, where there is a spring of water within a few
feet of the sea (PI. I, 2). Agia Aikaterine, where lie the
scanty remains of Tarrha, is reached in just over 4 hours.
The route North from here to Khania via the magnificent
gorge of Agia Roumeli (PI. I, 1) and the plain of Omalos
takes about 13 hours, but the time depends on how much water
is flowing in the gorge. Agia Aikaterine to Samaria may take
anything from 2 to 3J hours. West of Agia Aikaterine it is
impossible to take pack animals.
From Khania the road runs along the coast to Malemo,
crosses the base of cape Spadha, passes Nokhia, perhaps the
ancient Pergamos, Nopigia, perhaps Methymna, and reaches
Kisamos in about 7 hours. Another branch must have left
the main road at Nopigia to serve Rhokka and Polyrrhenia,
which it reaches in 3 J hours, thence to Kisamos in another hour.
Polyrrhenia was connected with its port at Phalasarna on the
West coast 60 stades away, as Strabo accurately says. From
Polyrrhenia to Mesogeia I have not walked, but I am told it
is about i£ hours. From thence to Phalasarna is if hours.
A rough coast road connects Phalasarna with the south-
western cities of Crete. It runs via the watch tower of Kastri,
perhaps the ancient Kale Akte, passes the mouth of the Ennea-
khoria valley, which may preserve the ancient name Inakhorion,
and leaving slightly to the West the small site at Khryso-
skaletissa monastery, turns up through Sklavopoula (? Doulou-
polis), thence descending to Palaiokhora or Selinou Kastelli in
about 17 hours. Another ancient route to the South must
be followed more or less by the modern car road from Kisamos
to Palaiokhora. From Palaiokhora the road runs up the
Vlythias ravine, passing the site of Kalamyde, to the ancient
Kantanos in 2 hours. From there it turns sharply eastwards
to Hyrtakina and Elyros 3 hours from Kantanos. From
Elyros a well-used track, obviously ancient from the rock-cut
tombs and the aqueduct beside it, leads down to Souia—the
ancient Syia—in i| hours. From this point a scramble of an
hour round the cliffs leads westwards to Agios Kirkos (Lissos)