Ancient Kommos

The archaeological site of Kommos is located on the beach of Kommos , 4km west of Phaestus , at the area of the village Pitsidia and close to Matala beach . Kommos (or Komos) was a small Minoan town founded in 2000 BC and served the port needs of Phaestus , with which it was linked by road.

Kommos was probably destroyed by an earthquake in 1700 BC, but survived up to the Hellenistic period. The excavations in the period 1976-1996 by the archaeologists Joseph Shaw and Maria Koutroubaki unearthed several Minoan houses, public buildings, warehouses, well maintained facilities of olive presses, a large courtyard and the first known shipyards in Crete.

Moreover, a Greek sanctuary (dating from 1100 BC-300 AD), altars and banquet room were found. According to a version of Homer , Kommos was the place where Menelaus shipwrecked on his return from Troy .

Perhaps in favor of that event, the locals introduced the worship of Menelaus in that sanctuary.