Olous

Olous or Olus (Ancient Greek: Ὄλους,^[1]^[2] or Ὄλουλις^[3]) was a city of ancient Crete; now sunken, it was situated at the present day town of Elounda, Crete, Greece. According to the Stadiasmus Maris Magni, it had a harbour and was located 260 stadia from Chersonasus and 15 stadia from Camara.^[3]

History[]

After continuing boundary disputes with the hillfort of Lato,^[4] the citizens of Olous eventually entered into a treaty with those of Lato.^[5] There was a temple to Britomartis in the city, a wooden statue of whom was erected by Daedalus, the mythical ancestor of the Daedalidae, and father of Cretan art.^[6] Her effigy is represented on the coins of Olous.^[7]

Present conditions[]

Archaeologists discovered ancient texts within the ruins linking the town with the ancient cities of Knossos and the island of Rhodes.^[8] The sunken city can be visited by tourists swimming in Elounda Bay. Today, the only visible remnants of the city are some scattered wall bases.

Notes[]

^ Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax p. 19, Xenion, ap. Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. s.v.
^ Ptolemy. The Geography. 3.17.5.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Stadiasmus Maris Magni § 350.
^ C.Michael Hogan, Lato Fieldnotes, The Modern Antiquarian, Jan 10, 2008
^ Dittenberger, Syll.³, No. 712 - English translation.
^ Pausan. ix. 40. § 3.
^ Eckhel, vol. ii. p. 316; Théodore Edme Mionnet, Descr. vol. ii. p. 289; Combe, Mus. Hunter.
^ SEG_23.547 - treaty between Rhodes and Olous.

References[]

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Olus". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.