Syia

Syia ( Greek  Συία , more rarely "Συγία", mentioned by Strabo as Syba ) is an ancient city in southwest Crete . It was located on the site of the modern settlement of Sougia , about 70 kilometers south of Chania .

Similar to Lisos , Syia was a spacious and safe haven for Elyros . The name probably comes from the ancient Greek sys (sow). In ancient times there were oak and holly forests in the area, which are an important source of food for pigs. Syia had its heyday in the Roman and early Byzantine periods. There are Roman ruins and the remains of three large early Christian basilicas . Presumably the city was destroyed by the Saracens . Robert Pashley discovered Roman aqueducts and thermal baths to the north, west of Elyros. In the village itself there are also remains of ancient buildings, walls, catacombs and house foundations. Pashley also observed cross inscriptions on marble.

Syia had a currency union with Elyros , Hyrtakina , Lisos, and Tarra and common coins were minted. Politically it was part of the League of Oreioi ("mountain people"), which also included several other smaller towns in the area.

literature

• IF Sanders: Roman Crete , Warminster 1982, ISBN 0856681504 , p. 171
• Suia , in: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854)

Coordinates: 35 ° 14 ′ 54.7 "  N , 23 ° 48 ′ 39.5"  E