Knossos, Greek and Roman

Abstract

Knossos survived the collapse of Aegean civilizations towards the end of the Bronze Age and prospered in the Early Iron Age (eleventh to seventh centuries BCE) by developing strong cultural and commercial links with the Aegean, Cyprus and the Near East. After a decline during the Archaic period (sixth century BCE), Knossos acquired substantial power in the Classical and Hellenistic period (fifth to first centuries BCE) and the city expanded considerably. A few decades after the Roman conquest in 67 BCE Knossos became a Roman colony and continued to be, at least for the first and second centuries CE, one of the most prosperous cities of the island.