Priansus or Priansos (), also Pransus or Pransos (Πράνσος), was a town and ''

polis Polis (: poleis) means 'city' in Ancient Greek. The ancient word ''polis'' had socio-political connotations not possessed by modern usage. For example, Modern Greek πόλη (polē) is located within a (''khôra''), "country", which is a πατ ...

'' (city-state) in

ancient Crete The history of Crete goes back to the 7th millennium BC, preceding the ancient Minoan civilization by more than four millennia. The Minoan civilization was the first civilization in Europe. During the Iron Age, Crete developed an Ancient Greece-i ...

History

It is mentioned in a list of Cretan cities cited in a decree of

Knossos Knossos (; , ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is a Bronze Age archaeological site in Crete. The site was a major centre of the Minoan civilization and is known for its association with the Greek myth of Theseus and the minotaur. It is located on th ...

of about 259–233 BCE, as well as in the list of Cretan cities that signed an alliance with

Eumenes II Eumenes II Soter (; ; ruled 197–159 BC) was a ruler of Pergamon, and a son of Attalus I Soter and queen Apollonis and a member of the Attalid dynasty of Pergamon. Biography The eldest son of king Attalus I and queen Apollonis, Eumenes was pr ...

Pergamon Pergamon or Pergamum ( or ; ), also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos (), was a rich and powerful ancient Greece, ancient Greek city in Aeolis. It is located from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north s ...

in 183 BCE. An honorary decree of Priansus dated to 170–140 BCE that includes the dispatch of two ambassadors of

Teos Teos () or Teo was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, on a peninsula between Chytrium and Myonnesus. It was founded by Minyans from Orchomenus, Ionians and Boeotians, but the date of its foundation is unknown. Teos was one of the t ...

in which one of them is specially praised for singing poems from the mythic Cretan cycle. Priansus minted coins dated from approximately 330–270 BCE bearing the inscription «ΠΡΙΑΝΣΙΕΩΝ» or «ΠΡΙ». Priansos made several treatises with other Cretan poleis, including a treaty of isopoliteia with the polis of

Hierapytna Hierapytna ( or Ἱερὰ Πύτνα), also Hierapydna (Ἱεράπυδνα), Hierapydnes (Ἱερά Πύδνης), or Hiera, was a town of ancient Crete. Strabo says that it stood in the narrowest part of the island, opposite Minoa (Crete), Mino ...

(''IC'' III,iii,4).

Location

The site of Priansus is located near modern Kastellos.

References

Populated places in ancient Crete Former populated places in Greece Cretan city-states {{AncientCrete-geo-stub