Lato is a wonderfully preserved Doric city from the fourth century BC located in Eastern Crete near Aghios Nikolaos. The hillside location overlooking a large bay made it a naturally fortified spot. Nearby the village is evidence of people living in the area as early as the 14th century BC, yet no buildings remain from this time period. It appears that the name of Lato was, in fact, that old, as the name of the city appears on the Linear B tablets (Bronze Age writing). Not much is known about the city of Lato, except that it appeared to be a haven for pirates.
As trade became more and more important, the need for fortification was outweighed by the desire to be convenient for boats. Inhabitants began to move to the nearby port city of Kamara. The city was soon abandoned and Kamara remained an active port through the fourth century AD.
The city had a council of ten that led the city and the people in these positions were rotated each year. In addition to running the judicial system and military, they repaired buildings, built temples, and meet with officials from other cities. The buildings that are still standing include the temple and theater. Some of the mosaic work is still visible on the floor of the meeting hall.
The site is open every day except Monday from 8:30 to 3. I can't remember if we had to pay for this site, but if we did it wasn't much. Be careful about getting out of there by 3 because the guard forgot we were in there and nearly locked the gate with us inside.
