Island defences

The threat of renewed Arab raids obliged Phocas to take steps to defend the island. This he did by stationing part of the army and fleet permanently on Crete. Soldiers were granted tracts of farmland as military estates, and warships equipped with Greek fire protected the island from seaborne attacks.

"...and having subdued the entire island, he settled Armenian and Byzantine soldiers clustered together in groups. Furthermore, to guard the island he also left warships equipped with Greek fire" (Theocharis Detorakis, History of Crete, trans. J.C. Davis, Heraklion 1994, p. 154)