Around 3000 BC the civilization developed rapidly and brings us to the Minoan period, the very first civilization of Europe and way before the well-known Hellenistic period (500-300BC)! A chronology based on the palaces' destruction and reconstruction brings 4 periods: Pre-palatial (2600-1900 BC), Proto-palatial (1900-1700 BC), Neo-palatial (1700-1400 BC) and Post-palatial (1400-1150 BC). Not much evidence is found about the pre-palatial period. There where important settlements in Myrtos and Mochlos and the Minoans had trade with Egypt, Asia Minor, and Syria. There were no important landlords but small scaled settlements. Pottery making flourished and copper and later bronze began to be worked.

This changed during the proto-palatial period when there were more migrations from mainland Greece and Minor Asia. Local elites developed and first palaces raise and acted as a central function for their local communities. Probably there was a hierarchy in the classes, nobles, peasants and perhaps slaves. The trade with Egypt and Asia continued and the Minoans even started settlements outside Crete as in Rhodes, Thira (Santorini) and Milos. Also writing was used in the form of hieroglyphics, probably coming the connections with Egypt. It’s assumed that this writing was base of later Lineair-A, still not deciphered. The disk of Phaistos is a great preserved example of this writing and can be seen in the Archeological Museum in Heraklion.

The palaces where abruptly destroyed in the 17th century BC, probably by earthquakes for the Minoan period flourished and continued into the neo-palatial period. After the destruction of the palaces, new palaces rose but larger and more complicated with at least 2 stories and lots of storage rooms. Knossos was the most important palace by size and grandeur. But there where many more palaces like the one’s excavated in Zakros, Malia and Phaistos. The palace of Knossos was of great luxury with drainage systems and a bath and flushing toilet for the queen. It was the house of King Minos, said to be the son of Zeus. Also in smaller settlements they build larger houses called villas with also storage and work areas. Between settlements there was extensive trade throughout the island and roads where paved. It was probably the peak of Minoan civilization with beautiful pottery, jewels and painting.

The influence of the Minoans reached also outside Crete and they were well appreciated because of their fine arts and pottery. It must have been a period of relative peace (or strength with naval forces) for the palaces show no signs of fortification. It’s in the late neopalatial period that the Minoans meet upcoming influence of the Mycenaean’s from the Peloponnese. By about 1500 BC a new form of writing, called Linear Β arises and is mainly used for administrative purpose and trade and not for poems or literature. Archaeologists have recognized it as Greek and it even might have come from the Mycenaean’s.

The end of this flourishing culture came with the destruction of most of the palaces and villas of the country side in the middle of the 15 century, and with the destruction of Knossos in 1375. It’s assumed that the outburst of the volcano of Thira was base of this destruction and probably gave chance for the Mycenaean’s to enter Crete and take over. During this period, Hellenic god names such as Zeus begin to appear in tablets, new shapes develop in pottery. The tablets of Linear B which were unearthed during excavations provide the more concrete evidence of this theory. The postpalatial period end with the destruction of the Mycenaean’s by the Dorriers which enter Crete around 1100BC.

It starts a period also referred to as the dark ages for the influence and importance of Crete more or less vanishes. The quality of Minoans fine arts and craft disappears and becomes more rough and clumsy. With the Dorriers occupying the island, armed with iron weapons, many inhabitants seek refuge in desolated places. In those years they also start settlements mountainous places like Karfi, Flektro, Kastro by Kavouss, etc. Poverty and lack of food brings Crete to a period of disunity and fights and wars between cities. Population starts to decline.

All of Greece was immersed in the dark ages till around 800BC. It where mainly the Phoenicians that dominate the Mediterranean with trade. But slowly live starts to improve and population grows, especially in the West of Crete. The cities of Knossos, Arkades, Kydonia, Dreros, Gortyna, Lato, and Lyktos become the most important centers of the island which continues to trade with Cyprus, Syria, and the Aegean. Cities made alliances with each other and kept fighting other cities. It’s in the 2nd century BC that the city of Lapa makes an alliance with Lyttos to fight Knossos. But Knossos destroys Lyttos and the inhabitants shelter in Lapa.

It was also a period that pirates could use and hide at many places in Crete. As Crete lost power as a nation, it where the Romans to take advantage and take over. As a province of Rome, it brings peace and structure that leads to a more prosperous period.

After the fall of the Roman empire Crete fell under strong influence of the Byzantine empire and was a period that Christianity spread and more period churches were build. Due to the weakness of the Byzantines the Arabs concurred Crete in 824 and destroyed the capital Gortyna. It were the Arabs that actually founded the city of Heraklion, than called Handakas for the dry moat around the city. Till then Heraklion was a small settlement and called Kastro, indicating it had some kind of fortification. The Byzantine general Nikiforos Fokas re-concurred Crete of the Arabs probably for its importance in slave trade. A new period of growth started as many people from Constantinople settled in Crete.

After the fall of the Byzantine empire Crete was given to the Venetians. They renamed Heraklion Candia, a name also used for all of the island and seen on many ancient maps. The Cretans revolted heavily against the Venetians because of the imposition of taxes and their congenital independency. It was only much later during the Venetian period that especially the Cretan aristocrats embraced the Venetians art and literacy. It was a period of great economic and cultural growth and great artists such as El Greco, the famous Cretan painter. In the Venetian period a lot of construction work was done. Fortresses (Grambouse, Rethymnon, Spinalonga), fortifications (walls of Heraklion, then called Candia – city of Chania) and many buildings, churches and aqueducts which are still visible as today.

With the rise of the Ottoman empire, their influence increased and during the Cretan war (1645-1669) the Venetians where pushed out of Crete. In contrary of the Venetians that had built many great structures, the Turks demolished many buildings and it was a harsh period in which the Cretans rebelled intensively. Economy declined rapidly and the population was forced into Islam. The Greek war of independency started in 1821 and Cretan participation was heavy. As mainland Greece became an independent Kingdom from 1932 on, Crete became a province of Egypt which gave the Cretans much freedom. As the Turk took over again in 1841 after winning from the Egyptians, the Cretans continued fighting for their freedom, with the most tragic being the revolt of 1866, which ended to the blowing-up of Arkadi Monastery. This action that killed over 2.000 people started to attract attention from World political leaders. As wars and rebellion continues, it was not until 1898 that the British interfered and freed Crete.

Crete became an independent state with prince George as governor under Ottoman suzerainty but the Turks had to withdraw all their army. But the Cretans wanted to unite with Greece and the politician Elefterios Venizelos, later prime minister of Greece, sent the prince away in 1906. It was in 1913 that the uniting was a fact. During the second world war Crete was concurred by the Germans during a airborne invasion with heavy casualties on both sides. During occupation the Cretans rebelled heavily but had to pay a high price for many Cretans where massacred.