Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
This island was ruled in Arthur’s time by Hippolytus, an ally of the Roman Procurator Lucius.
Crete | 1st century BC to the 9th century AD
Roman Period | 1st century BC – 4th century AD
Crete came under Roman rule in the first century BC after the Roman conquest of the eastern Mediterranean. During this period, the island became a part of the Roman province of Creta et Cyrenaica.
Byzantine Period | 4th – 9th centuries
After the division of the Roman Empire, Crete became part of the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine era on the island lasted for several centuries. In the seventh century, Crete faced the Arab-Byzantine Wars, and the island was captured by the Umayyad Caliphate in the mid-seventh century.
Arab Period | 820s – 960s
During the ninth century, Crete was under Arab rule after a series of conquests. The Arab presence on the island lasted until the Byzantine reconquest in the mid-tenth century.
See also
Greece | The Legend of King Arthur
Sources
Historia Regum Britanniae | Geoffrey of Monmouth, c. 1138
Alliterative Morte Arthure | c. 1400