Panagia

Few cities and place-names in Crete and, indeed Greece, retain their ancient names unchanged throughout forty centuries, while being inhabited even today. In Crete: Knossos, Sitia, Archanes, Ierapetra, Kisamos, Tylisos and others, retain their ancient names and are still inhabited today without interruption from very ancient times. The certainty that we talk about ancient Tylisos and not another ancient city, is based on the simultaneous investigation of its ruins, inscriptions and coins where its name is mentioned.. The name of the city of Tylisos was first written 3.400 years ago, in the capital city of Crete, Knossos with which Tylisos had kept preferential and very close relations.The site of Tylisos was fist inhabited in 2000 B.C. However, for this older period, only movable finds have survived: whole and restored vases and potsherds of fine-ware which belong to the typical ceramic styles before and after 2000 B.C. Building remains have not survived, so we do not know the character and extent of the settlement, which must have been one of the most important at that time. It is more likely that the building was reused in the new mansions which were rebuilt on the same sites three centuries later. We are given interesting information about the history of the Tylisos area during the Old Palatial period (1900-1700), by the finds from the sanctuaries on the mountain Pyrgos, west of Tylisos.Tylisos flourished for two periods during the Minoan era: the first period covered the time of the new or second palaces (1650-1450). The three large mansions which have been excavated belong to this period. The second period covered the late or third palatial era (1450-1200). The big building which was unfortunately preserved in fragments over the ruins of the northern earlier mansion C and also the big portico, date to this era.In the years following the Minoan era, Tylisos continued to be inhabited without interruption. These later ruins were rescued mainly on the top of the low hill between the excavated mansions and the guardhouse.The ancient writers inform us about Tylisos in the historical times, as we call the post-Minoan years. The Roman historians Plinius (1st century A.D.) and Solinus (3rd century A.D.) have changed it to Gilisos. They refer to it as one of the most important cities of the island and they rank it alongside Knossos, Gortyn and Kydonia. Of great importance for the history of the city is the evidence from inscriptions. From these inscriptions we learn about its close contact with Knossos and Argos, with other cities of Crete and Greece, as well as many names of Tylisian citizens. The most ancient inscription where Tylisos is mentioned dates to circa 450 B. C.Tylisos is usually mentioned originally as an autonomous city, which later, from the 1st till the 4th century A. D. was subject to its great neighbor Knossos, like the neighboring Rafkos (modern village of Agios Myron). Besides Hera and Apollo, who are depicted on the coins of the city, Athena was also worshipped. The annual feast of Tylisos was Hyakinthia and its sacred month was the Heraios. The coins of Tylisos in the 4th and 3rd century depict on the one side the head of Hera in profile to the right. The goddess Hera is rarely depicted in coins of cities in Crete and is found only on coins of Knossos and other cities near it, where she enjoyed a great respect.The goddess is crowned with a palm wreath and wears earrings and necklace. On the opposite side Apollo is depicted nude, walking to the left and holding a bow in his right hand and a wild goat head in his left. In front of the god there is a small laurel tree and the inscription ‘Tylision’.

Text: http://english.tylisos.gr