Listed 5 sub titles with search on: History for wider area of: "KYDONIA Ancient city CHANIA" .
Archidamus was king of the Lacedaemonians for twenty-three years, and Agis his son succeeded to the throne and ruled for fifteen1 years. After the death of Archidamus his mercenaries, who had participated in plundering the shrine, were shot down by the Lucanians, whereas Phalaecus, now that he had been driven out of Lyctus, attempted to besiege Cydonia (343/2 B.C.). He had constructed siege engines and was bringing them up against the city when lightning descended and these structures were consumed by the divine fire, and many of the mercenaries in attempting to save the engines perished in the flames. Among them was the general Phalaecus. But some say that he offended one of the mercenaries and was slain by him. The mercenaries who survived were taken into their service by Eleian exiles, were then transported to the Peloponnese, and with these exiles were engaged in war against the people of Elis. When the Arcadians joined the Eleians in the struggle and defeated the exiles in battle, many of the mercenaries were slain and the remainder, about four thousand, were taken captive. After the Arcadians and the Eleians had divided up the prisoners, the Arcadians sold as booty all who had been apportioned to them, while the Eleians executed their portion because of the outrage committed against the oracle.
This extract is from: Diodorus Siculus, Library (ed. C. H. Oldfather, 1989). Cited Oct 2003 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains comments & interesting hyperlinks.
The island of Crete seemed to be favorably disposed (B.C. 74) towards
Mithridates, king of Pontus, from the beginning, and it was said that they furnished
him mercenaries when he was at war with the Romans. It is believed also that they
recommended to the favor of Mithridates the pirates who then infested the sea,
and openly assisted them when they were pursued by Marcus Antonius. When Antonius
sent legates to them on this subject, they made light of the matter and gave him
a disdainful answer. Antonius forthwith made war against them, and although he
did not accomplish much, he gained the title of Creticus for his work. He was
the father of the Mark Antony who, at a later period, fought against Octavius
Ceasar at Actium. When the Romans declared war against the Cretans, on account
of these things, the latter sent an embassy to Rome to treat for peace. The Romans
ordered them to surrender Lasthenes, the author of the war against Antonius, and
to deliver up all their pirate ships and all the Roman prisoners in their hands,
together with 300 hostages, and to pay 4000 talents of silver.
As the Cretans would not accept these conditions, Metellus was chosen
as the general against them. He gained a victory over Lasthenes at Cydonia. The
latter fled to Gnossus, and Panares delivered over Cydonia to Metellus on condition
of his own safety. While Metellus was besieging Gnossus, Lasthenes set fire to
his own house there, which was full of money, and fled from the place. Then the
Cretans sent word to Pompey the Great, who was conducting the war against the
pirates, and against Mithridates, that if he would come they would surrender themselves
to him. As he was then busy with other things, he commanded Metellus to withdraw
from the island, as it was not seemly to continue a war against those who offered
to give themselves up, and he said that he would come to receive the surrender
of the island later. Metellus paid no attention to this order, but pushed on the
war until the island was subdued, making the same terms with Lasthenes as he had
made with Panares. Metellus was awarded a triumph and the title of Creticus with
more justice than Antonius, for he actually subjugated the island (B.C. 69).
Appian, The Foreign Wars (Sic.1.6., ed. Horace White, 1899)
It was against this ever-victorious Polycrates that the Lacedaemonians now made war, invited by the Samians who afterwards founded Cydonia in Crete.
And colonists were sent forth by the Aeginetans both to Cydonia in Crete and to the country of the Ombrici.
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