Ancient Eleftherna (Prines) is a village and seat of the homonymous Local Community of the Municipality of Rethymno in the Regional Unit of Rethymno, Crete. It was named so because of its proximity to the archaeological site of Eleftherna. In the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, it received the “cleanest organized traditional settlement” award from the Prefectural Committee for Tourist Promotion of Rethymno.
Other names
According to the lexicographer Stephanos Byzantius, its original name was Satra (probably derived from the archaic forms Satara or Satyra, but also found in variants: Saoros and Aoros) and was then renamed Apollonia, after the city’s patron god Apollo, who he also bore the nickname of Apollo Eleftheros and in the end the name Eleftherna prevailed (according to another version Eleftherna came from the nickname of the goddess Demeter Eleuthous). It was also referred to as Elefthera or Eleftherai and Eleftherna. The inhabitants were referred to as: “Eleftherneus” (singular) and “Elefthernaioi” (plural).
History, Archaeological site
Ancient Eleftherna was a city of Crete in ancient times. It was located in the current Prefecture of Rethymno, 30 kilometers SE of the city of Rethymno, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Arkadi Monastery. The archaeological site occupies a jagged ridge of Psiloritis, at a height of 380 meters. Today it is the most important of the prefecture. It is a wider residential area, the main nuclei of which, taking into account its periods of prosperity and decline, are located on two heights: the hill of Prine (Ancient Eleftherna) and the plateau in the current village of Eleftherna. Our knowledge of the region, its name and its history comes mainly: 1. from the written sources: from historians, geographers, lexicographers from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, as well as from cartographers, travelers and antiquarians from the Middle Ages to the late of the 19th century and 2. from the material remains of the civilizations that have been found by chance or from more systematic investigations since the end of the 19th century. until recently and have been published from time to time in various scientific journals. Since 1985, systematic excavation research in the wider area has been undertaken by the University of Crete, Department of Archeology and History of Art, in three different areas according to the geomorphology of the area, i.e. the presence of the natural elevation in a north-east direction with slopes ending in the bed two rivers, Kyriaki to the east and Chalopota to the west. The direction of the excavations in the eastern sector I was undertaken by professor Petros Themelis, in the central sector II by professor Athanasios Kalpaxis and in the western sector III by professor Nikos Stampolidis. The help and contribution of the authorities and the residents of Archaia Eleftherna (formerly Prine) and Eleftherna is important.
The city was founded by the Dorians in the 9th century BC. at the intersection of the roads that connected the cities of Kydonia, Knossos and the sanctuary on Mount Ida. A necropolis of the geometric and archaic times has come to light at the site of Orthi Petra. In 2010, the discovery at the site of a 2,700-year-old double tomb was announced, concealing more than 3,000 gold leaves and the first depiction of the bee as a goddess.
Exhibitions of finds, visitors, museum
Thousands of findings, which are irrefutable witnesses to the history of Ancient Eleftherna, have come from the three large, systematic excavations of the University of Crete. And about 500 of them were chosen in order to assemble the exhibition “Eleftherna: City – Acropolis – Necropolis” which started at the Museum of Cycladic Art, in Athens in December 2004. The archaeological site became open to the public in 2008, while the excavation continues and important finds are constantly coming to light.