Gortyna

Gortyna gôrtī´nə [key], ancient city, S central Crete. Under Rome it was one of the leading cities of the island. Many ancient Greek remains have been discovered on the site. An inscription dating from c.450 BC of a code of laws of inheritance, marriage, divorce, and other family matters was found on a wall in 1884, providing important insights into civil society of that time.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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