Ancient Lyktos

Ancient Lyktos is a ruined Cretan city near the settlement of Xidas, inland from the north coast. Lyktos, also written Littos, was one of the most powerful cities of ancient Crete and a standing rival of Knossos. The city controlled the port of Hersonissos, which gave it an outlet on the north coast.

Ancient historians wrote about Lyktos more than about most Cretan cities. They record it as the oldest city on the island, well organised and well built, and as the place where Rhea’s parents advised her to give birth to Zeus.

Lyktos and Sparta

Lyktos was a colony of the Lacedaemonians, which tied the city to Sparta for the whole of its recorded history. The deity worshipped here was Karnian Apollo.

The city took part in the Trojan War. Kiranos, the leader of the Lyktaeans, sacrificed himself during the fighting to save Idomeneus from Hector’s spear.

The wars with Knossos

Lyktos held dominance over eastern Crete and was in continuous conflict with Knossos, its chief enemy. In 343 BC Knossos occupied Lyktos, and the Spartans then helped the Lyktaeans take their city back.

The second attack ended the city. In 220 BC, while Lyktos was away at war with Ierapytna, Knossos invaded the unguarded city, destroyed it completely and captured the women. The returning Lyktaeans were too afraid to enter and took refuge in Lappa, which is present-day Argiroupolis. That destruction led to an alliance against Knossos and to the start of the First Cretan War.

Sparta helped rebuild Lyktos, and the city became one of the strongest in Crete for a second time. In the Roman period it resisted the general Metellus hard before he occupied it. Statues of Marcus Aurelius and Trajan taken from Lyktos are held in the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

The aqueduct from the Kournia spring

Lyktos drew its water from the Kournia spring, which rises between Kera and Krassi. A large aqueduct carried that water across the hills to the city.

Part of the aqueduct still stands north of Kostamonitsa village, where it reads as a wall rather than as a channel. The local name for it, tihos, means exactly that. Both places named at the spring end of it are covered here, the village of Krassi and, at Kera, the Kardiotissa monastery.

Coins, laws and finds

Coins from Lyktos carry an eagle with open wings on one side and the head of a wild boar on the other, with the word ΛΥΤΤΙΩΝ, meaning Lyktaeans. The emblem is how the city is identified in collections today.

Excavation has produced sculptures and two inscriptions of the city’s laws. Both inscriptions are written in boustrophedon, the script that reverses direction on each line.

What to see near ancient Lyktos

Villages, monasteries and two more ancient sites sit within a short drive of Lyktos, and the Lasithi plateau begins just beyond them. These are the places we cover closest to the ruins, nearest first.

• Askoi village lies 1.2 km away, the closest settlement to the site.
• Sfendyli village lies 5.2 km away, also written Sfedili.
• Smari Citadel lies 5.4 km away, another ancient acropolis site.
• Kallergis Monastery lies 5.7 km away, near Kasteli.
• Agia Paraskevi village lies 5.8 km away.
• Vidiani Monastery lies 5.9 km away, on the Lasithi plateau.
• Lagou village lies 6.2 km away.
• Roza Gorge lies 6.8 km away, the nearest gorge walk.
• Windmills at Seli Ambelou lie 7.0 km away, a group of stone windmills.
• Embasa Gorge lies 7.3 km away.
• The Cave of Zeus lies 8.0 km away, also called the Dikteon or Psychro cave.
• Kalo Chorio village lies 8.5 km away.
• Aposelemis Gorge lies 10.3 km away, on the Aposelemis river.
• Stalida lies 10.6 km away, the nearest coastal resort.

Frequently asked questions

Where is ancient Lyktos?

Ancient Lyktos stands near the settlement of Xidas, inland from the north coast of Crete. The nearest village we cover is Askoi, 1.2 km from the site, and the Lasithi plateau begins a few kilometres further on.

Why was Lyktos important in ancient Crete?

Lyktos held dominance over eastern Crete and controlled the port of Hersonissos. Ancient historians describe it as the oldest city on the island and as a well organised, well built one. It was also a colony of the Lacedaemonians, which kept Sparta involved in its wars.

What happened to Lyktos in 220 BC?

Knossos invaded the unguarded city, destroyed it completely and captured the women. Lyktos was away fighting Ierapytna at the time. The survivors took refuge in Lappa, now Argiroupolis, and the episode began the First Cretan War.

Is Lyktos connected to the birth of Zeus?

Yes. Ancient writers record Lyktos as the place where Rhea’s parents advised her to give birth to Zeus. The Dikteon cave, also called the Psychro cave, lies 8.0 km from the ruins.

What can you see at Lyktos today?

Part of the city’s aqueduct still stands north of Kostamonitsa village, where it looks like a wall. Sculptures and two inscriptions of the city’s laws, written in boustrophedon, have come out of the site. Statues of Marcus Aurelius and Trajan from Lyktos are displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

What did Lyktos coins look like?

They carry an eagle with open wings and the head of a wild boar, with the word ΛΥΤΤΙΩΝ. That word means Lyktaeans, the citizens of the city.