Festòs: note di topografia e di storia

The paper summarizes the archaeological and historical data about Phaistos in post-Minoan period. The evidence concerning necropoleis, fortifications, roads, houses, shrines and other public buildings both in the urban center around the hill of the Minoan Palace and in the surrounding chora is briefly analyzed. Some suggestions are carried out about the town-planning of the polis, probably of the type structured katà komas. Three major phases of crisis (or better periods of changes) emerge. The transition between Late Minoan IIC and Subminoan, the end of 7th century BC and the first half of 5th century BC. The importance of post-Minoan Phaistos is well documented in antiquity by the existence of some cults specifically of this polis (the most famous of which was that of Leukippos) and by the claims of a Phaistian origin of the great Cretan seer Epimenides. This Phaistian importance was perhaps linked to the Minoan past: the Minoan Palace was overbuilt by simple houses perhaps only from the 4th century BC: its previous reoccupation, after the LM IB destruction, appears religious in character.