About Lato, Crete, Greece

provided by Kritsa.net / AgNik.net / makeITcrete.com

Lato, unlike many of the other researched and excavated sites on Crete, is Dorian rather than Minoan in age and characteristics and its period of importance and major occupation dates from approximately the fourth to second centuries BC. Lato lies close to the village of Kritsa (turn right off the road up from Agios Nikolaos) and occupies an imposing hilltop position from where it was able to defend its population and launch attacks on the nearby city of Olous, the remains of which now lie in the waters close to modern Elounda, the anatagonism between the two cities being rooted in traditional allegiances to the rival powerhouses of Knossos (often supported by Lato) and Gortyn (often supported by Olous) although the support of lesser city states within such loose federations was often interchangeable or fickle to say the least.

Lato's ruins were discovered in the mid 19th century and first excavated by French archaeologists as the new century dawned. The significant remains show a thriving and cultured city with all the accompanying buildings and structures for civic government, entertainment, worship, domestic and military use. These include a theatre, public water storage, fortified walls, the agora and the temple of Eileithya (alt spellings Ilythia, Ilithia, Eilithia, Eilithya etc) the goddess of childbirth and child of Zeus and Hera.

Today Lato is an atmospheric site that is often overlooked by the tourist, more likely to be found at the heavily visited major Minoan sites of Knossos or Phaestos (Festos). This, however, is to their disadvantage and the site remains one of the favourite locations, in the area, of this description's writer.

LINKS TO FURTHER PICTURE TOURS IN THE WIDER LASSITHI AREA - CLICK HERE