Home Region:  Southeastern Europe (Europe)

Hellenistic Crete

323 BCE 69 BCE
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.

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.
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) See More
Utm Zone 35 S 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Original Name Hellenistic Crete 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Capital 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Peak Years
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Duration
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Political and Cultural Relations Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Supracultural Entity Hellenistic Greece 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Succeeding Entity Roman Republic 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity continuity 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Preceding Entity
continuity; Cretan city-states [continuity]    Update here
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Degree of Centralization quasi-polity 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Language Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Linguistic Family Indo-European 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Language Greek 323 BCE  69 BCE
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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) See More
Population of the Largest Settlement 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Polity Territory 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Polity Population 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Settlement Hierarchy 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Religious Level 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Military Level 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Administrative Level 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Professions Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Soldier 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Professional Priesthood 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Professional Military Officer 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Government Building 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Law Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Lawyer Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Judge 323 BCE  69 BCE
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323 BCE  69 BCE
Court 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Market 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Irrigation System Present 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Food Storage Site Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System Present 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Road Present 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Port 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Canal Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Bridge Present 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Mines or Quarry 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Information / Writing System Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Written Record Present 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Script Present 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing Present 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Nonwritten Record 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Scientific Literature Present 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Sacred Text 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Religious Literature 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Practical Literature 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Philosophy Present 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification 323 BCE  69 BCE
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History 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Fiction 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Calendar 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Information / Money Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Token 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Precious Metal Unknown Suspected 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Indigenous Coin 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Foreign Coin 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Article 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Information / Postal System Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Postal Station Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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General Postal Service Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Courier Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Stone Walls Non Mortared 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Modern Fortification Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Moat Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Complex Fortification 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Long Wall absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Military use of Metals Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Steel Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Iron 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Bronze 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Projectiles Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Tension Siege Engine 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Sling Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Self Bow 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Javelin 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Handheld Firearm Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Crossbow Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Composite Bow 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Atlatl Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Handheld weapons Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
War Club Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Sword 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Spear 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Polearm Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Dagger 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Battle Axe Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Horse 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Elephant Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Donkey 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Camel Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Armor Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Wood Bark Etc Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Shield 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Scaled Armor 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Plate Armor Absent 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Limb Protection 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Leather Cloth 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Laminar Armor 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Helmet 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Chainmail 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Breastplate 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Naval technology Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Military Vessel Present 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service Unknown Suspected 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain 323 BCE  69 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Hellenistic Crete (gr_crete_hellenistic)
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Instability Data
Power Transitions