Chersonesus
Χερσόνησος
Chersonesus (Χερσόνησος), a name borne by three places in Crete.
1.
A point on the W. coast, identified with Keronisi, near Ponto di Corbo (Ptol. 3.17.2; Hoeck, Kreta, vol. i. p. 379.)
2.
(Ptol. 3.17.5; Stadiasm. § 331, 332, Hierocl.), the haven of Lyctus, with a temple of Britomartis (Strab. x. p.479), 16 M P. from Cnossus. (Pent. Tab.) Mr. Pashley (Trav. vol. i. p. 268) found ruins close to a little port on the shore, and the actual names of the villages Khersónesos and Episcopianó, indicate that here is to be found what was once the ancient port of Lyctus, and afterwards became an Episcopal city. (Hoeck, vol. i. p. 408.)
3.
Strabo (xvii. p.838) describes the great harbour of Cyrenaica near the promontory of Ardanaxes as lying opposite to Chersonesus of Crete; the same author (x. p. 479) places Praesus between the Samonian promontory and Chersonesus. There must have been, therefore, a point to the S of the island bearing this name, the position of which is not known. (Hoeck, vol. i. p. 432; Eckhel, vol. ii. p. 307.) [E.B.J]
From William Smith (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. Text provided under a CC BY-SA license by Perseus Digital Library, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Tufts University. Data accessed from https://github.com/PerseusDL/canonical-pdlrefwk/ on 17 October 2026.