CRETA. – Island of the Mediterranean south-east of Greece, also called Candia after the name of its principal city.
250 km long from east to west, on average 35 km wide, with an area of 8,500 sq. km, it closes the Aegean Sea transversely to the south. It consists of mountain ranges enclosing small plains, with the great massif of Ida at the centre. It has no important rivers, but its numerous valleys become torrents during the rainy season. The fertility of the soil and the luxuriant vegetation, within the limited available spaces, were well known to the ancients (Strabo, X, 4,4; Pliny, Nat. hist., XII, 11,45).
The island’s early history (the ancient Minoan period, 3500–2100 B.C.; the Middle period up to 1580; the Recent period up to 1200 B.C.) is little known. Here, from approximately 1600 to 1000, the Aegean-Mycenaean civilization developed, exerting such a strong influence on Greece. The opinion now prevails that Kefivo of the Egyptian documents and Capitor of the Bible (Gen. 10, 14) (Kaftara in the cuneiform texts) is C., the country of origin of the Philistines (Jer. 47, 7; Am. 9, 7). Archaeological explorations attest to extensive commercial activity with Egypt and with the other Mediterranean regions from the third millennium to 1400 B.C. Many objects of Cretan art have in fact been found in Egypt, and many Egyptian imports on the island. After the Dorian conquest (1200 B.C.), the island became greatly fragmented, with very numerous cities. Homer speaks of 90 cities (Odyssey, XIX, 174) and of 100 (Iliad, II, 649), naturally differing greatly in extent and importance; but Cnossus and Gortyna, where the great inscription of ancient Cretan law, from the sixth–fifth centuries B.C., was discovered, gained and retained predominance. C. took no part in the war against the Persians or in the Peloponnesian War. The various cities maintained lasting relations with the Ptolemies and with Cyrenaica. In 67 C. fell into the power of Rome, and Caecilius Metellus received the title of Creticus. In the reorganization of the Empire in the year 27, Augustus united C. with Cyrene into a single senatorial province. The governor, of praetorian rank, resided at Gortyna.
The Jews were numerous in the cities of the island, especially at Gortyna, as appears from the letter of the consul Lucius (I Mach. 15, 23; Fl. Josephus, Antiq. Ind., XVII, 121; Bell. Ind., II, 7, 1). Witnesses in Jerusalem of the Christian Pentecost brought its Christian message back to their homeland (Act. 2, 11). The ship carrying Paul on his journey from Caesarea to Rome, after rounding Cape Salmone, proceeded along the southern coast to reach the bay of “Fair Havens” (οὐδὼν Αὐκέως, Vulg. Boniporus), near the city of Lasaia (Act. 27, 7-8). Against Paul’s advice (Act. 27, 10, 21-26), the centurion departed from there to reach Phoenix, a more suitable harbour for wintering, but because of the contrary wind the ship was carried at the mercy of the waves (Act. 27, 16-21). After his release from prison in Rome, Paul was in C. together with Titus and departed from there, leaving Titus behind to establish the “elders” or “overseers” of the churches and to safeguard the evangelical doctrine that talkative Judaizers were attempting to corrupt.
Already in antiquity the Cretans did not enjoy a good reputation; in his letter to Titus (1, 12), Paul, approving it, cites from the oracles of Epimenides the saying: “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy bellies.”
In the fifth–eighth centuries there were 8 dioceses in C., since 8 were the bishops who signed a letter addressed to the Emperor Leo I at the Council of Chalcedon (451), and the same number were present at the Second Council of Nicaea (787).
A group of 10 martyrs was venerated in C. (BHG, nos. 1196-97), called “provincial martyrs” in the aforementioned letter of the Cretan bishops to Leo I. Their martyrdom was perhaps written down at Gortyna in the fourth century and was therefore known to the said bishops (P. Franchi de' Cavalieri, I dieci martiri di C.,
in Miscellanea G. Mercati, V [*Studi e Testi*, 125], Vatican City 1946, pp. 7-40).
No authentic information is available concerning St. Cyril, bishop and martyr of Gortyna. Belonging to the Byzantine period at Gortyna are the church of St. Titus, with a dome supported by four pillars, and the one discovered in the locality of Vigles. Explorations have led to the discovery of a group of ancient Christian inscriptions, among which the epitaph of a bishop named Eclesiodorus is noteworthy.
For the later period: V. CANDIA.