Home Region: Southeastern Europe (Europe)

Hellenistic Crete

323 BCE 69 BCE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 gr_crete_hellenistic / GrCrHel

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[continuity; Cretan city-states] [continuity] Update here

Succeeding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

General Description

In the Greek world, the Hellenistic era goes from the death of Alexander in 323 BCE to the Roman conquest in 69 BCE. For much of this period, due to its enviable position in the Eastern Mediterranean, the island lay at the centre international conflicts between Alexander’s successors, most notably the Ptolemies (who managed to establish an autonomous republic at Itanos in the third century ^[1] ), the Seleucids, Macedonia, and Pergamon. ^[2] This in turn exacerbated conflicts between the island’s chief city-states, with few periods of respite, until Crete was conquered by the Romans ^[3] .
Population and political organization
In terms of the island’s population at this time, estimates vary for a minimum of 200,000 to a maximum of 1,000,000 people; however, the most likely estimate is of 450,000-500,000 people. ^[4] Political, military and religious control in Cretan city-states was exercised by the Kosmoi (Κόσμοι), a board of 3 to 10 nobles, annually elected by the Ecclesia, the body of free male citizens. One of the Kosmoi, known as protokosmos or stratagetas, was the president of the board. The council of elders, the Gerousia, whose members were chosen among the best Kosmoi, had legislative and juridical authority. ^[5] ^[6]

[1]: (Spyridakis 1970) Stylianos Spyridakis. 1970. Ptolemaic Itanos and Hellenistic Crete. Berkeley: University of California Press.

[2]: (Van Effenterre 1948, 114) Henri van Effenterre, H. 1948. La Crète et le mondes grec de Platon à Polybe. Paris: E. de Boccard.

[3]: (Chaniotis 1987, 236-246) Angelos Chaniotis. 1897. ’Κλασική και Ελληνιστική Κρήτη’, in Panagiotakis, N. (ed.), Κρήτη: Ιστορία και Πολιτισμός, edited by N. Panagiotakis. Heraklion: ΣΥΝΔΕΣΜΟΣ ΔΗΜΩΝ & ΚΟΙΝΟΤΗΤΩΝ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ.

[4]: (Chaniotis 1987, 194-195) Angelos Chaniotis. 1897. ’Κλασική και Ελληνιστική Κρήτη’, in Panagiotakis, N. (ed.), Κρήτη: Ιστορία και Πολιτισμός, edited by N. Panagiotakis. Heraklion: ΣΥΝΔΕΣΜΟΣ ΔΗΜΩΝ & ΚΟΙΝΟΤΗΤΩΝ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ.

[5]: (Willetts 1965, 56-75) Ronald F. Willetts. 1965. Ancient Crete. A Social History. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

[6]: (Chaniotis 1987, 196-199) Angelos Chaniotis. 1897. ’Κλασική και Ελληνιστική Κρήτη’, in Panagiotakis, N. (ed.), Κρήτη: Ιστορία και Πολιτισμός, edited by N. Panagiotakis. Heraklion: ΣΥΝΔΕΣΜΟΣ ΔΗΜΩΝ & ΚΟΙΝΟΤΗΤΩΝ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic) was in:
(323 BCE 69 BCE)	Crete

Home NGA: Crete

General Variables

Identity and Location Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	35 S	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Original Name	Hellenistic Crete	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Capital	None (Absent Capital)	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Temporal Bounds Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	250 BCE
Loading...

Duration	[323 BCE ➜ 69 BCE]
Loading...

Political and Cultural Relations Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Supracultural Entity	Hellenistic Greece	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Succeeding Entity	Roman Republic	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Preceding Entity	continuity; Cretan city-states [continuity] Update here
Loading...

Degree of Centralization	quasi-polity	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Language Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Indo-European	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Language	Greek	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Religion Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	24,000 people	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Polity Territory	[210 to 240] km²	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Polity Population	[5,000 to 30,000] people	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Hierarchical Complexity Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[1 to 5]	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Religious Level	5	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Military Level	5	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Administrative Level	5	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Professions Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Professional Priesthood	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Professional Military Officer	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Bureaucracy Characteristics Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Law Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Judge	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Formal Legal Code	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Court	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Specialized Buildings: polity owned Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Irrigation System	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Food Storage Site	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Drinking Water Supply System	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Transport Infrastructure Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Port	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Canal	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Bridge	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Special-purpose Sites Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Information / Writing System Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Script	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Nonwritten Record	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Information / Kinds of Written Documents Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Sacred Text	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Religious Literature	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Practical Literature	Present Inferred	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Philosophy	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Lists Tables and Classification	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

History	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Fiction	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Calendar	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Information / Money Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Precious Metal	Unknown Suspected	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Indigenous Coin	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Foreign Coin	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Article	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Information / Postal System Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

General Postal Service	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Courier	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Information / Measurement System Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Stone Walls Non Mortared	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Stone Walls Mortared	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Modern Fortification	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Moat	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Complex Fortification	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Long Wall	absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Military use of Metals Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Iron	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Bronze	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Projectiles Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Sling Siege Engine	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Sling	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Self Bow	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Javelin	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Handheld Firearm	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Crossbow	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Composite Bow	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Atlatl	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Handheld weapons Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Sword	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Spear	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Polearm	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Dagger	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Battle Axe	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Animals used in warfare Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Elephant	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Donkey	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Camel	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Armor Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Shield	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Scaled Armor	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Plate Armor	Absent	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Limb Protection	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Leather Cloth	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Laminar Armor	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Helmet	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Chainmail	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Breastplate	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Naval technology Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present Inferred	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent Inferred	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Absent Inferred	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Absent Inferred	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Present	323 BCE 69 BCE
Loading...

Human Sacrifice Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More