Editing History of Crete (section)

==Classical and Hellenistic Crete==
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In the [[Classical Greece|Classical]] and Hellenistic period Crete fell into a pattern of combative city-states, harboring pirates. In the late 4th century BC, the aristocratic order began to collapse due to endemic infighting among the elite, and Crete's economy was weakened by prolonged wars between city states. During the 3rd century BC, [[Gortyn]], Kydonia ([[Chania]]), [[Lyctus|Lyttos]] and [[Polyrrhenia]] challenged the primacy of ancient Knossos.

While the cities continued to prey upon one another, they invited into their feuds mainland powers like [[Macedon]] and its rivals [[Rhodes]] and [[Ptolemaic Egypt]]. In 220 BC the island was tormented by a [[Lyttian War|war between two coalitions of cities]]. As a result, the Macedonian king [[Philip V of Macedon|Philip V]] gained [[hegemony]] over Crete which lasted to the end of the [[Cretan War (205–200 BC)|Cretan War]] (205–200 BC), when the [[Rhodes|Rhodians]] opposed the rise of Macedon and the [[Roman Republic|Romans]] started to interfere in Cretan affairs. In the 2nd century BC Ierapytna ([[Ierapetra]]) gained supremacy on eastern Crete.