Tarrha orTarra (Ancient Greek:Τάρρα), alsoTarrhus orTarros (Τάρρος),[1] was apolis (city-state) in the southwestern part ofancient Crete, near theSamaria Gorge, at the village ofAgia Roumeli.[2][3] It is situated near the sea, on the hill.
Tarrha was probably established in theClassical period and was a very important religious centre; it was one of the earliest sites of worship ofApollo. Anciently, it was known on the southern coast betweenPhoenix andPoecilassus. The city flourished in the Greco-Roman period. The city was home to the cult of Apollo Tarrhaios, where parts of his temple have been found. Tarrha is frequently cited in the ancient sources such asPausanias,[4]Stephanus of Byzantium,[5] and theStadiasmus Maris Magni.[1] Tarrha is one of the cities that signed an agreement withEumenes II in 170 BCE.
In theMiddle Ages, Tarrha was known for its glass workshops.
In 1415,Cristoforo Buondelmonti detected in the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, an inscription in Greek which said: “Peel your shoes, cover your head and come in.” A similar inscription was found at the Temple atMatala. The custom of entering the temple without shoes is ancient. According toGreek mythology, Apollo, after murderingPython, went to Tarrha to be cleansed through purgatorial rituals ministered by the temple priest,Carmanor.
Tarrha minted its own coins. The coins have the head of a Cretan wild goat, an arrow, and a bee. Tarrha had monetary union withElyros,Yrtakina, andLissos. The coins belong to the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, when Tarrha became a member of the Republic of Cretans. The city had established a colony of the same name in the Caucasus. It is also believed thatTarra of south Italy was another colony of the city. It probably foundedLampa, also found on Crete, as well.
It was the birthplace of the authorLucillus of Tarrha (orLoukillos). He commented on theArgonauts ofApollonius of Rhodes. In mythology,Chrysothemis, a poet and the son of Carmanor, was from Tarrha as well. He was a victor at thePythian Games atDelphi.
Robert Pashley was the first modern archaeologist to find the location of the city and investigate it. The area held scattered stonestele which are inscribed with a double axe symbol. One is exhibited at theArchaeological Museum of Chania.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Tarrha".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
35°13′59″N23°57′37″E / 35.233106°N 23.960195°E /35.233106; 23.960195
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