Polyrrhenia

Polyrrhenia or Polyrrenia (Ancient Greek: Πολυρρηνία; modern Greek: Πολυρρηνία, romanized: Polyrrinia),[1] Polyrrhen or Polyrren (Πολύρρην) or Polyren (Πολύρην),[2] or Pollyrrhenia or Pollyrrenia (Πολλύρρηνα),[3] or Polyrrenion (Πολυρρήνιον)[4] or Polyrrhenium,[5] was a town and polis (city-state) in the northwest of ancient Crete, whose territory occupied the whole western extremity of the island, extending from north to south.

He adds that the Polyrrhenians formerly dwelt in villages, and that they were collected into one place by the Achaeans and Lacedaemonians, who built a strong city looking towards the south.

[7] In the civil wars in Crete in the time of the Achaean League, 219 BCE, the Polyrrhenians, who had been subject allies of Knossos, deserted the latter, and assisted the Lyctians against that city.

[8] In a successful campaign they prevented their rival cities Knossos and Gortys from dominating the entire island and brought a large part over to the Macedonian coalition.

Polyrrhenia continued to flourish in the Roman period, when the center shifted to its erstwhile port, Cisamus, and in this urbanistic configuration lasted into Byzantine times.