Agioi Deka
Encyclopedia
Agioi Deka is a village in the Heraklion peripheral unit, Greece
, with 796 inhabitants (2001 census). It is located in the 44th km of the Heraklion-Tympaki national road and it is the centre of the municipality of Gortyna (Δήμος Γόρτυνας).
The village is built on the feet of a green hill with view to the plain of Messara, at altitude of 170 meters, over the remains of ancient Gortys. It is supposed that the cemetery of Gortys was located in this area, and many of the old houses are built using recycled material from the ruins of Gortys. There is a local archaeological museum containing finds from the area. Other archaeological remains include the Praetorium
located between Agioi Deka and Gortys, the tombs of Agioi Deka and the old church in the centre of the old village.
. At the site of their martyrdom stands a 12th-century church.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, with 796 inhabitants (2001 census). It is located in the 44th km of the Heraklion-Tympaki national road and it is the centre of the municipality of Gortyna (Δήμος Γόρτυνας).
The village is built on the feet of a green hill with view to the plain of Messara, at altitude of 170 meters, over the remains of ancient Gortys. It is supposed that the cemetery of Gortys was located in this area, and many of the old houses are built using recycled material from the ruins of Gortys. There is a local archaeological museum containing finds from the area. Other archaeological remains include the Praetorium
Praetorium
- Etemology :The praetorium, also spelled prœtorium or pretorium, was originally used to identify the general’s tent within a Roman Castra, Castellum, or encampment. The word originates from the name of the chief Roman magistrate, known as Praetor...
located between Agioi Deka and Gortys, the tombs of Agioi Deka and the old church in the centre of the old village.
Name
The name of the village means Ten Saints, referring to the ten Martyrs of Crete (Agathopus, Basilides, Gelasius, Evaristus, Eunician, Euporus, Zoticus, Theodulus, Saturninus, and either Cleomenes or Mobius or Pompeius) who martyred there in 250 AD during the religious persecutions of the Roman emperor DeciusDecius
Trajan Decius , was Roman Emperor from 249 to 251. In the last year of his reign, he co-ruled with his son Herennius Etruscus until they were both killed in the Battle of Abrittus.-Early life and rise to power:...
. At the site of their martyrdom stands a 12th-century church.