Lentas
Encyclopedia
Lentas or Levin Lentas is a coastal village 75 km south of Heraklion
, on the south coast of Crete
in Greece
. It belongs to the municipality of Agii Deka (Greek Άγιοι Δέκα).
"). It refers to the lion shaped cape that makes the small protected bay of Lentas. This cape is documented in medieval maps as Cape Liontas (Greek
Ακρ. Λιώντας).
and Early Minoan period (3rd millennium BC
). Lentas (ancient Greek
: Λἐβην(Leben)) is also known to be one of the two harbours of Gortys, which became the most prominent city of Crete after the fall of Knossos
. In the late Classical period (beginning of the 4th century B.C.) the Gortynians established the sanctuary of Asklepios at the harbour. During the tremendous earthquake of 46 B.C. Lentas was destroyed and subsequently rebuilt. Gortys later was the Province's capital during the Roman era, which also comprised Cyrnaica (ancient Libya
). In the early Christian and Byzantine periods, a small settlement developed and a basilica was erected. The small Byzantine church of St. John was built in the 14th century. The archaeological investigation of the site started after the first visit of the English captain H. Spratt, in the middle of the 19th century. Excavations were carried out by the Italian Archaeological School at Athens in 1900, 1910 and 1912-13, and revealed the sanctuary and other buildings. Since then no excavation had taken place in the ancient city until recent years, when the investigations of the Greek Archaeological Service brought to light the Minoan settlement and graves.
Today in Lentas there is an archaeological site of the sanctuary of Asklepios (Greek Ασκληπειός) and the Byzantine
church of St John. It is believed that Levin during the Roman occupation became a sanitarium
where sick wealthy Romans, mainly from North Africa, received treatment. The treatment consisted of a diet with mineral water from an ancient spring near the temple of Asklepios, which was believed to have therapeutic properties, and local fruits. Today Lentas is a popular tourist destination and has rural and stock farming activities.
Heraklion
Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
, on the south coast of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It belongs to the municipality of Agii Deka (Greek Άγιοι Δέκα).
Origins of the name
The name of Lentas possibly derives from the Greek word Λέοντας (in English, "lionLion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
"). It refers to the lion shaped cape that makes the small protected bay of Lentas. This cape is documented in medieval maps as Cape Liontas (Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
Ακρ. Λιώντας).
Climate
It belongs to an area where the climate consists an exception in accordance to the climate on the island of Crete which is mediterranean. Lentas falls in the North African climatic zone and thus enjoys significantly more sunny days and high temperatures during the summer. Probably the best time to visit Lentas is spring and autumn.History
Lentas has a rich past and there are evidence that it had been first habitated from the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and Early Minoan period (3rd millennium BC
3rd millennium BC
The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age.It represents a period of time in which imperialism, or the desire to conquer, grew to prominence, in the city states of the Middle East, but also throughout Eurasia, with Indo-European expansion to Anatolia, Europe and Central Asia. The...
). Lentas (ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
: Λἐβην(Leben)) is also known to be one of the two harbours of Gortys, which became the most prominent city of Crete after the fall of Knossos
Knossos
Knossos , also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square...
. In the late Classical period (beginning of the 4th century B.C.) the Gortynians established the sanctuary of Asklepios at the harbour. During the tremendous earthquake of 46 B.C. Lentas was destroyed and subsequently rebuilt. Gortys later was the Province's capital during the Roman era, which also comprised Cyrnaica (ancient Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
). In the early Christian and Byzantine periods, a small settlement developed and a basilica was erected. The small Byzantine church of St. John was built in the 14th century. The archaeological investigation of the site started after the first visit of the English captain H. Spratt, in the middle of the 19th century. Excavations were carried out by the Italian Archaeological School at Athens in 1900, 1910 and 1912-13, and revealed the sanctuary and other buildings. Since then no excavation had taken place in the ancient city until recent years, when the investigations of the Greek Archaeological Service brought to light the Minoan settlement and graves.
Today in Lentas there is an archaeological site of the sanctuary of Asklepios (Greek Ασκληπειός) and the Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
church of St John. It is believed that Levin during the Roman occupation became a sanitarium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
where sick wealthy Romans, mainly from North Africa, received treatment. The treatment consisted of a diet with mineral water from an ancient spring near the temple of Asklepios, which was believed to have therapeutic properties, and local fruits. Today Lentas is a popular tourist destination and has rural and stock farming activities.