Michael Fuller

Law code of Gortyn dating to the 5th century BC written in the Dorian dialect.

Left: Marble bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 161 - 180). Right: Marble Bust of Tiberius Julius Caesar.

Heraklion Archaeological Museum.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two marble statutes of Aphrodite dated to the 1st century AD. Heraklion Archaeological Museum.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interior of the central apse of the Basilica of St. Titus. A circular window frame was inserted into the wall; the exterior square window frame is larger.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gortyna

- a city that was the seat of the Roman governor of the island of Crete. The Basilica of St. Titus was the major Byzantine church of the city - it was dedicated to the first Bishop of Crete who was one of the 70 Apostles. It is estimated that the basilica was built in between AD 550 and 625. Gortyna was the site of the martyrdom of 10 Cretan Christians during the reign of Emperor Decius (AD 249 - 251). 

Left: Small marble statue of Asclepius, god of Medicine. Right: Hermes as the god of trade and profitability (holding a money bag). Early 2nd century AD. Heraklion Museum.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Details of Isis-Persephone (holding a sistrum) and the three headed dog (Cerebeus). Mid-2nd century AD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three views of a marble statue found in the Temple of the Egyptian deities at Gortyn. This deity (most likely Aion) wears a tunic decorated with stars and entwined with a serpent. A rooster stands on a pedestal and leans against the deity. A rooster appears associated with a snake entwined deity on a leontocephaline statue excavated at Ostia Antica in Italy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seated statue, slightly larger than life-size, of Emperor Antoninus Pius (ruled from AD 138 to 161).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marble statues found in the Temple of Egyptian Deities representing the fusion of Isis-Persephone (holding a sistrum) and Serapis-Hades. The three headed dog (Cerebeus) sits by the right side of Serapis-Hades. Mid-2nd century AD.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Odeon (small, roofed theater is situated near the Basilica of St. Titus at Gortyn.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Basilica of St. Titus at Gortyna, Crete.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ornamentation (on the exterior) of the window belonging to the central apse of the Basilica of St. Titus.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marble statue of Aphrodite kneeling and wearing an armband on her left arm. On display in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Dated to the 2nd century AD.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------