Gortyn is located on the Mesara plain of central Crete and was an important settlement throughout antiquity from the Minoan to Hellenistic periods. In Roman times the city went on to gain even more importance as the capital of the Roman province of Crete and Cyrene. The site today is particularly noted for the Gortyn Law Code, a lengthy wall inscription created in the 5th century BCE which is the earliest such example in Europe.
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Definition
Timeline
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470 BCEGortyn on Crete begins to mint its own coinage.
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c. 450 BCEThe Law Code of Gortyn is written.
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c. 220 BCEGortyn allies with Knossos to defeat Lyttos on Crete.
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189 BCEGortyn gives sanctuary to Hannibal.
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c. 180 BCEPhaistos conquered by Gortyn.
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c. 27 BCEAugustus makes Gortyn the capital of the Roman province of Crete & Cyrene.
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60 CEAn early Christian community is established at Gortyn, Crete.
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81 CETrajan serves as quaestor at Gortyn, Crete.
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249 CE10 Christians are famously martyred at Gortyn in a wild animal hunt.
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365 CEGortyn is destroyed by a devastating earthquake.
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670 CEGortyn is destroyed by earthquake.
