Puberty

After several failed attempts to recapture the island, the Byzantines with the army of Nikephoros Phokas, commander of the eastern armies & future Emperor, finally succeeded in taking back control after a successful siege of Chandax that forced the rest of the Cretan cities to capitulate and accept the Byzantines as the new rulers in 961 AD. In their attempt to erase all traces of Arabic influence from the social, political & religious life of the island, the Byzantines would order the rehabilitation of new populations from other regions of the Empire to Crete, including some of the noble families of Constantinople that took over the leadership of the island. In order to shield Crete from future attacks, the Byzantines built new fortification walls in various coastal outposts of the island, with the city of Chania building the new wall from the ruins of the ancient wall of Kydonia. This was the period that the Arabic name was changed from Al Hanim into the Greek contemporary name of Chaniá.

After the 4th crusade of 1204, the Fall of Constantinople & the abolition of the Byzantine Empire, Crete was given to Bonifacio, Marquis of Montferrat leader of the crusade, who in his turn chose to sell it to the Venetians after failing to enforce his control over the island.

Before the Venetians could establish their foothold however their Genoese rivals under the leadership of their compatriot Enrico Pescatore, Count of Malta, took hold of the island, building 14 forts around it to fight the Venetian fleet. Pescatore ruled the entire island with the exception of a few isolated Venetian garrisons & managed to repel the Venetian attacks until finally in 1218 a treaty left Crete in Venetian hands.