The island of Crete was regarded by the ancients as difficult of access;
most of its harbours were exposed to the wind; but as it was easy for ships
to sail out of them, when the wind was moderate and favourable, they were
convenient for commerce to almost any part of the then commercial world.
The ancients, according to Strabo, reckoned that ships which sailed from
the eastern part of Crete would arrive in Egypt in three or four days; and,
according to Diodorus Siculus, in ten days they would arrive at the Pulus
Mæotis. The principal seaports were Bithynia, which had a very convenient
haven; and Heracles, the seaport of the Gnossians. To these, merchants from
all parts of the world resorted. There were, besides, a great many creeks
and bays. This island would have been much more commercial and flourishing
than it actually was, considering its favourable situation, &c., had it not
been divided into a great number of independent states, who were jealous of
each other's prosperity, and almost constantly at war amongst themselves.
In very early times, when the whole island was subject to one sovereign,
the Cretans were powerful at sea; they had subjected even before the Trojan
war, some of the islands in the Egean Sea, and formed colonies and
commercial establishments on the coasts of Asia Minor and Europe. At the
breaking out of the Trojan war, they sent eighty ships to the assistance of
the Greeks. But as soon as the island was divided into independent
republics, their navigation and commerce seem to have declined. Their
piratical expeditions were conducted with so much boldness and success,
especially at the time when the Romans were engaged in hostilities with
Mithridates, that they determined to curb them. Anthony, the father of Marc
Anthony, was appointed to execute their vengeance; but, too confident of
success, he was beaten by the Cretans in a sea-battle. This naturally
encouraged them to carry on their piracies on a greater scale, and with
more boldness; but their triumph was of short duration, for Metellus, the
proconsul, having defeated their forces, united with those of the Cilician
pirates, landed on the island, and subdued the whole of it.