Praisos
Praisos ( Greek Πραισός Presos ), also Praissos , was an ancient city on Crete . It is located in the east of the island on the Sitia peninsula north of today's village of Nea Presos (formerly Vaveli).
The place was already settled in the Neolithic period, which is evidenced by a cult site in a cave northwest of the city. Numerous remains from the Minoan and Mycenaean periods follow ( megalithic house ; Tholos tombs ). A sanctuary on a hill dates from the Geometric period. The city experienced its heyday in Hellenism . It was the most important city of the Eteokreter , the natives of Crete, who lived until the 3rd century BC. Their old language preserved. During excavations in the city, texts were found in the Eeteocretic language , which were written in Greek letters but are still not understandable to this day. In the Hellenistic period, the city minted its own coins. Around 145 BC BC Praisos was destroyed by Hierapytna and integrated into its territory, after which there are no more traces of settlement.
The remains of the city are spread over three hills with a city wall, which is still partially preserved today. The most important remains come from the Hellenistic period and take up about 10 hectares. They cover two of the three hills. One of the hills was fortified and there was a temple on it. The houses were on the slopes of the hills and were built of stone. The agora stood between the hills ; architectural remains such as an Ionic capital were found there .
literature
- Siegfried Lauffer (Ed.): Greece. Lexicon of Historic Places . Beck, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-406-33302-8 , pp. 564-565.
- Holger Sonnabend : Praisos. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 10, Metzler, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-476-01480-0 , column 265 f.
Web links
- The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites: Praisos, Sitia, Crete.
- Praisos. (PDF) Site plan and grave B. University of Heidelberg, accessed on September 4, 2016 .
- Catherine Morgan: Praisos. American School of Classical Studies at Athens, September 29, 2009, accessed March 5, 2018 .
- Don Evely: Praisos shrine. American School of Classical Studies at Athens, February 8, 2011, accessed March 5, 2018 .
- Praisos - the old city of the Eteocretes (Crete Environment Forum)
- Praisos (British School at Athens, English)
- The ancient town of Praisos on Crete (English)
- Πραισός (municipality of Sitia , Greek)
- Ancient coins from Praisos
Coordinates: 35 ° 7 '24 " N , 26 ° 5' 21" E