⭐ Travel Guide for Island Crete ⛵, Greece❗

Ancient Polirinia

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Coins of Ancient PolyrrheniaAncient Polyrrhenia, also known as Polyrhenia, was one of the most important cities of western Crete. It was built on a naturally fortified hill, approximately 7km south of Kissamos, with panoramic views of the plain, the Gulf of Kissamos and the Cretan Sea. Its ruins extend around the modern village of Polyrrhenia, in a strategic location that allowed the city to control the surrounding area and important routes across western Crete.

According to the tradition recorded by Strabo, Polyrrhenia was founded by Achaeans and Lacedaemonians, who gathered the inhabitants of smaller villages into a single settlement. The city flourished during the Hellenistic and Roman periods and became one of the most powerful political and economic centres of western Crete. Its name has been associated with the Greek words poly and rhenes, meaning “many sheep”, a reference to the well-developed livestock farming of the region.

Polyrrhenia used ancient Falasarna on the western coast and Kissamos to the north as its ports. It developed commercial relations with Sparta, Milos, Rhodes, Thebes, the Ionian coast, Egypt and other regions of the Greek world and the eastern Mediterranean.

During the Roman conquest of Crete, Polyrrhenia did not resist the Romans and consequently avoided the destruction suffered by other Cretan cities. Instead, it allied itself with Rome, retained its power and expanded its influence at the expense of its rival, Kydonia. The important sanctuary of Diktynna at Cape Spatha also came under its control.

The city minted its own coins from at least the 4th century BC. They frequently depicted a bucranium, or bull’s head, as well as deities such as Zeus, Athena and Artemis. The numerous inscriptions discovered at Polyrrhenia are particularly significant, providing information about the city’s administration, officials, religious cults, political alliances and everyday life. The wealth of this epigraphic material makes Polyrrhenia one of the best-documented ancient cities of western Crete.

The acropolis of Polyrrhenia stood at the summit of the hill and was protected by strong fortifications. Sections of Hellenistic walls, towers and later Byzantine constructions can still be seen in the area. One of its most distinctive monuments is an arched gateway known as the “Poros of Peristera”. An important sanctuary, probably dedicated to Artemis or Diktynna, also stood in this area. In 1894, the church of the Holy Fathers was erected on its site, using building material taken from the ancient ruins.

The organised water-supply system of the ancient city is also of particular interest. The inhabitants constructed rock-cut cisterns to collect rainwater, while an aqueduct carried water to different parts of the settlement. Sections of the aqueduct date to the Roman period, and notable remains survive near the modern village. The archaeological site also preserves ruins of ancient houses and temples, rock-cut spaces and evidence of the urban organisation of Polyrrhenia.

Human presence in the area continued for many centuries, and the modern village developed over part of the ancient city. Excavations have revealed remains of houses from different periods, including buildings with walls carved directly into the natural rock. These dwellings were repeatedly used, repaired and modified from antiquity to the Early Christian period. In some buildings, traces of carefully constructed masonry and tiled roofs are still preserved.

Extensive ancient cemeteries have been identified outside the city walls, containing rock-cut chamber tombs and marble funerary stelae. Family tombs dating from the Hellenistic period are particularly notable, while excavations have uncovered pottery, bronze objects, jewellery and other grave offerings. Among the most important finds is a black-glazed amphora dating from the 3rd century BC, decorated with relief representations of mythological scenes.

Polyrrhenia is also associated with the ancient expression “to perform a Cretan sacrifice”, which referred to an undertaking or desire that remained incomplete. According to tradition, while Agamemnon was returning victorious from the Trojan War, he anchored at Nopigia to offer a sacrifice to the gods of Polyrrhenia. However, the prisoners held aboard his ships started a fire, forcing him to depart hastily before completing the sacrifice.

Today, ancient Polyrrhenia is a particularly interesting archaeological site where ancient ruins coexist with the traditional houses of the modern village. Visitors can walk among fortification walls, towers, rock-cut cisterns, old churches and ancient building remains, while enjoying the impressive views over the plain and the Gulf of Kissamos. The area is also crossed by the European E4 trail from Kissamos through Polyrrhenia to Sfinari.