Category: Ancient Site

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Ancient Kantanos or Kadros is situated about 69 kilometers far from Chania, at the Southwest (Chania prefecture) and 9km south from Kandanos village. Kandanos is a historic village, now counting some 680 permanent residents.

 
The village has still the name of the ancient city. Kantanos is cited by all ancient writers. Modern writers call it Kandanos. Pashley says that Ancient Kantanos was near the villages Kadros, Spaniako, and Kalamos, at the hill, which is near Blithia or Kakodikianos or Stratos River. De Sanctis does not agree with Pashley.
He located the city where the village is now. Before the World Wars, the Greek archaeologist Theofanides excavated the area. He discovered a large Roman building. The floor has mosaics with linear decoration, circles, and lozenges. There was found the base of the statue of the Roman emperor Septimus Sebirus (193-211 AD).

Kantanos was inhabited until the Byzantine period, when it was Bishopric, and the Arabs destroyed it. It was not reconstructed. The bishopric was re-established in the second Byzantine period, since 1210-1212 Kantanos existed. “Kantanos is city of Crete as Xenion says. The national adjective is Kantanios.” Stef. Byzantios.