Archaeological testimony
In 1960, a marble column bearing the following inscription was uncovered in the port area:

"Boundary of the most holy church from which the Devil was repelled and withdrew when he attacked to enter and burn down the town. Monday (or Wednesday) in the 14th year of the Indiction."

The inscription dates to the 7th or 8th century, and probably refers to a pirate raid which was successfully repelled. It is also convincing evidence for the existence of the settlement or "town" as referred to in the inscription, which was clearly sizeable enough both to attract the pirates' attention and to succeed in rdriving back the attack.

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The marble column discovered in September 1960 (photograph: Multimedia Lab, Historical Museum of Crete, © S.C.H.S, Heraklion)
The 7th century inscription on the marble column (photograph: Multimedia Lab, Historical Museum of Crete, © S.C.H.S, Heraklion)
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