Province of Crete and Cyrenaica | |||||||||||
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Province of the Roman Empire | |||||||||||
67 BC–c. 297 AD | |||||||||||
Roman province of Creta et Cyrenae highlighted. | |||||||||||
Capital | Gortyna | ||||||||||
History | |||||||||||
• Established | 67 BC | ||||||||||
• Disestablished | c. 297 AD | ||||||||||
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Today part of | Greece Libya |
Crete and Cyrenaica (Latin: Creta et Cyrenaica, Koinē Greek: Κρήτη καὶ Κυρηναϊκή, romanized: Krḗtē kaì Kyrēnaïkḗ) was a senatorial province of the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire, established in 67 BC, which included the island of Crete and the region of Cyrenaica in modern-day Libya. These areas were settled by Greek colonists from the eighth to sixth centuries BC. After Alexander the Great's death, his short-lived empire was partitioned between his generals during the Wars of the Diadochi. Cyrenaica ended up under Egyptian rule, except for Crete, which remained independent.