As the largest island in the Greek archipelago, with a culture all of its own, Crete has made its mark on Greek history and often determined its course.

Having developed a fully fledged culture from as early as Neolithic times, Crete heralded the dawn of civilization in the wider European area. The lasting period of prosperity from 2800 to 1100 BC is associated with Minoan civilization. Irrefutable evidence of its range and splendour lies in the old and new palaces erected at Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Zakros; in the development of important sites such as Agia Triada, Gortyn, Zominthos, Myrtos, Fournou Koryfi, etc.; in the evolution of a sophisticated, rich and vibrant art; in the commercial supremacy of the Minoans on the seas; and in the spread of their products, pottery, artefacts and artistic trends throughout the Mediterranean Basin.

The collapse of the palatial system and the decline of Minoan civilization were followed by Mycenaean infiltration and the transition to the Iron Age, which in no way recalled the glories of the past. In historic times Crete may not have lost its status as trading centre, but it was relegated to the margins of the Greek world, which was thenceforth associated with the major centres of Athens, Sparta and later Macedonia. The island’s principal urban centres at that time were at Knossos, Lato, Praisos, Cydonia and Gortyn.

In 69 BC the Romans took the island by force. They designated Gortys as their administrative seat, which emerged as a major centre of the time. In the 1st century Crete received Christianity as preached by the Apostle Paul; the island’s churches were organized by Paul’s disciple Titus in 63 AD. The spread of Christianity between the 4^th and 8^th century led to the construction of a considerable number of basilicas , all typical of the Early Christian period , such as those at Sougia, Chersonisos, Panormo, Eleutherna, Sybritos, Frangokastelo and Gortys. Sources reveal that Crete then formed part of the Diocese of Moesia (Dioecesis Moesiarum or Illyricum Orientale), which was directly dependent on the Church of Rome; the Episcopal Province of Crete had about twenty bishoprics, with Gortys as its metropolitan see. During the iconoclast controversy under Constantine V, in around 754, the Church of Crete broke away from Rome and was annexed to the throne of Constantinople.

In 823 civil war broke out on Crete between Thomas the Slav and Emperor Michael II. Meanwhile, a series of uprisings by Andalusian Arabs against the Caliph of Cordoba in the West Mediterranean led to their being banished from the Iberian Peninsula, thus rendering the island vulnerable to attack. Denied access to the north coast of Africa, they set their sights on Crete. Α series of assaults in 826 resulted in forty Arab battle ships entering Souda Bay. The island was pillaged for several days and then taken over; Gortys was razed to the ground, and the Arabs established a new capital on the site of ancient Heraclea, erecting a substantial fortress with deep ditches, which they named al-Chandak (later known as Chandax). From there they organised an extensive series of attacks against the Aegean islands, plunging them into destruction and desolation. Emperor Michael II’s efforts to recover Crete by 829 failed to rid the island of the Arab presence, as did an initially successful attempt by Michael III in 843. The baton then passed to Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, in whose reign Nicephorus Phocas became known as a man of military prowess.

Once Porphyrogenitus had been succeeded by Romanos II, in 960 Nicephorus launched a military campaign to liberate Crete. The following year, following several months of operations, this ended in the surrender of Chandax. The island returned to Byzantine rule as a theme, with its church and administration reorganized by Phocas. For fear of a renewed Arab threat the capital was temporarily moved to the hinterland behind Chandax, surrounded by a strong wall. In the religious sphere Phocas formed associations with spiritual fathers such as Saint Nikon Metanoeite (“Repent”) and Saint John Xenos, reorganized new episcopal sees far from the coast and moved others to new locations. In the late 10th century the cathedral of Agios Titos (Saint Titus), was built at Gortys, on the ruins of an early Christian three-nave vaulted basilica.

The second period of Byzantine rule lasted until Constantinople was conquered by the Crusaders in 1204. After the capital fell, the island was briefly occupied (until 1217) by Enrico Pescatore, Genoese count of Malta, who made concerted attempts to strengthen the forts at Chandax, Rethymnon and Sitia, and erected walls around other important sites. From 1217 onwards Crete established itself as one of the most important possessions held by the Most Serene Republic of Venice. Under the new Venetian name Candia, Chandax remained the capital and administrative centre of the island, which was divided into six sectors administered by Venetian commanders. Settlement by Venetian colonists boosted the population and breathed new life into the city, which was radically remodelled: the walls and harbour were reinforced, and intense building activity began. Sea routes expanded and trade flourished. The Byzantine church administrative system was retained, though a Latin bishop was appointed alongside his Greek counterpart at the head of each episcopal see. The entire 13^th century saw repeated uprisings against Venetian authority. Prominent among these was the one led by the Skordiles and Melissinos families in the first quarter of the century, since it had the support of Byzantine troops from John Vatazes’ Empire of Nicaea .

A few years later, the recapture of Constantinople by Michael VIII Palaeologus (1261) sparked off a new wave of unrest on the island. This series of uprisings ended in 1363-1364, when Venetian feudal lords attempted to secede from Venice by declaring Crete the Republic of St. Titus.

After the fall of the Byzantine capital to the Ottomans in 1453, many people flocked from Constantinople to Crete. Although this new population influx undoubtedly marked a major change, smooth coexistence with the local population and the Venetians served the island well, resulting in the Cretan Renaissance of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Between 1645 and 1669 the island was the theatre of the Fifth Venetian-Turkish War. The Ottomans landed on Crete and occupied it in 1645, and three years latter laid siege to Chandax. Chania was taken in 1645 and Rethymnon in 1646. The monumental siege of Candia began in May 1648 and lasted for twenty-one years; the city was pounded by daily bombardment and attacks, but managed to hold out as it was supplied from the sea.  The final phase began in 1666, when numerous reinforcements arrived in support of Fazil Ahmed Pasha Kiopruli (Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Paşa). The dire predicament of the besieged forced Venetian general Francesco Morosini to come to terms with the Ottomans and surrender the island to them.