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Gortys
Ancient Gortys
Gortys, also known as Gortyn or Gortyna, was the ancient capitol of Crete, ruling large areas around the island as far as to Africa. During its blossoming there were many city states in Crete, which were at times at war with each other as well as against common outside enemies.
Gortys is an impressive attraction, with a lot of buildings and city structures in the olive tree groves to be explored. In the center of the area are the Odean theatre, ruins of the Church of Titus – the first bishop of Crete appointed by Paul the Apostle – and The Law Code of Gortys which is the oldest known law text in Europe.
The area of this site is very large and extends to the south to the other side of the main road, where there are a lot of ruined buildings in the olive grove. The entrance and the service facilities for the visitors have been under repair and are just about finished. Gortys is located by a main road and is easy to find.
The auditorium of the Odeon amphitheatre
Ruins of the Church of Titus. Titus was the first bishop of Crete, mentioned also in The New Testament. The basilica is dated around 500-600 AD
The oldest law code in Europe. The stones were found inside an old mill in 1884, where they had been used as construction material. Part of the stones and codes are still missing
After the mythology, the name of Europe continent originated here.
Additional Information:
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Coordinates for Gortys: 35° 3'45.30"N 24°56'50.12"E
The law code has been translated and interpreted almost entirely, the English version and background info is available in the book The Law Code of Gortyna by R.F. Willet, published by Walter de Gruyter in 1967 (90 pages, ISBN 3110051761).
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