ABSTRACT
Gortyn and Eleutherna are two Cretan cities with completely contrasting features. Gortyn, in the centre of the Messara, the largest plain on the island, was the capital and metropolitan seat. Gortyn has all the features of a cosmopolitan metropolis: it was directly connected with the central administration but also had powerful institutions of self-government; it had a monumental appearance regularly renewed, impressive infrastructure. According to Giorgi, the water supply system in Gortyn of the mid-sixth century was designed to reach people where they lived, in contrast to the late seventh and eighth centuries, when people moved to points where water was available. The churches of Gortyn, although erected in remote locations, probably functioned as the new nuclei for residential development. Residences dated between the fourth to fifth and the end of the seventh centuries were found south of the Metropolis basilica.
