Lentas - a mystical place
Crete is with 8331 square meters the largest Greek Island. Surrounded by three powerful continents - Europe, Africa and Asia - Crete came over the centuries all the time into the focus of different big power constellations. By its strategically favourable position and as the fifth-largest island of the Mediterranean Sea Crete was conquered regularly of other ruling powers and its inhabitants had to bend themselves over and over again.
To pursue the history of Crete becomes simple based on the writings of the historians. There is very little available of the antiquity writings about Lentas.
Only a few authors of the antiquity mention the place.
The oldest tracks of settlement remainders on the lion mountain are from the stone era. More informative finds are present from the minoïan era: In Lentas ruins of an early minoïan settlement with dome graves were found. In the round graves and in a rectangular space ceramics were discovered, like for instance sculptures from animals, fruits and ships. They were made by minoïan craftsmen who must have had a large artistic fantasy and creativity. Likewise one found a two-piece ceramic pot decorated with ritual bull symbols. To the finds belong Cyclad idols, stone containers, jewelry, an Egyptian Scarabaeus and bronze speartips. These finds prove that the Minoïans on Crete created an advanced culture and through their harbour made trade relations over the entire Mediterranean area. To see these finds today you can visit the archaeological museum in Heraklion.
Approximately at 1500 B.C. a volcanic eruption found place on Santorini, followed by several earthquakes and floods, which destroyed buildings and palaces on entire Crete. In the years following the Cretanians lost the naval supremacy to the Phoënians. Also it is assumed that Crete came under mycenian sovereignty (excavations in Gortys and Festos point on this).
Nowadays little information from the past of the place Lentas has remained. But the today's name Lentas finds its origin in the phoënician word "Lebena", which meant "white" and which describes the colour of the foothill, where the settlement was situated. Proofs of remainders of a phoënician settlement are missing however. In the antiquity then probably this name changed into the greek word Leon (also Levin).
The minoïans withdrew themselves into the east part of Crete - until the dorians finally conquered the island. Through the dorians numerous city-states were founded, which enlarged the trade relations of the island.
With the establishment of a welfare center, the asclepios temple, in the 4th. century before christ Lentas (Leion, Levin, Lebena) became famous across its borders. The temple was established as a satellite of the powerful central temple on the peleponneses. Beside a temple with statues of god and his daughter Hygieia there was also a treasure house with an underground space, in which the gifts for the god were secured. A magnificent floor mosaïc, which represents a hippocampus (sea-horse), decorates this building section and is preserved. The building was divided into several pillar halls (for instance one for the welfare sleep), gate elbows and large marble stairs. One with a nymphanian covered spring led the water through a ceramic water pipe into the bath basins. Adjacent on the holy district both the patients and their companions were accommodated in lodgings and guesthouses. Also the priests were situated there in their own houses.
Visitors from all over Greece and North Africa visited in that time the magnificently equipped hot springs with their welfare-bringing water. The famous hot springs and the developing of a harbour surely helped the place to prosperity. The port at that time belonged however to the metropolis Gortys which was situated landinward, which took the port settlement Lentas with support of the city Knossos in the year 219 B.C. in possession. By conquering the entire messara Gortys developed an important center of power with trade relations to Egypt and Syria. Lentas was not independent during this important time, we know that Lentas did not have its own currency.
The Asclepios temple was several times converted and changed during its history, so that original Greek architecture has hardly remained. Most of the damage was caused by the heavy earthquake in 46 B.C.
Finally Rome conquered Crete in 67 B.C.. The inhabitants of Gortys allied themselves with the new ruling powers and thus could save their city from destruction. The Romans made Gortys the capital of Crete, structured this to a magnificent city and transferred the administration of the province "Creta et Cyrenaica" to Gortys. Lentas had become Roman.
Also the Romans visited the Asclepios temple frequently and fitted it in the 3rd. and 4th. century in Roman architecture, by adding emperor hot springs.
In the 4th. and 5th. century Christianity became generally accepted, and the Asclepios cult lost its meaning. The temple was destroyed as "heiden cult place" and was used as quarry. Beside the formerly holy district an early christian basilic was established, for this building mainly antique components of the temple were used. Still today one can regain the inserted marmor pillar sections in the current church.
With the fall of the Asclepios temple the place Lentas (or Lebena, Leon, Levin) lost its meaning. Numerous conquerers of the island - Byzantinians, Arabs, Venetians, Turkish and occasionally also pirates - alternated. Writings on Lentas about this time is not really available. But it is pointed on almost all geographical cards of the 16th. And 17th. century as a port (P. Leon). So we can assume that Lentas was not one time uninhabited.
In the middle of the 19th. century archaeologists started with the first excavations, they were systematically resumed and today they still discover antique finds. The whole village is protected as an archaeological area which prevents building large hotels and so Lentas will always remain this little, idyllic fishermen village at the Libyan sea.