History of Crete Venice, overthrew official Venetian authorities and declared an independent Cretan Republic. The revolt took Venice five years to quell. During Venetian rule, the Greek population of Crete was exposed to Renaissance culture. A thriving literature in the Cretan dialect of Greek developed on the island. The best-known work from this period is the poem "Erotokritos" by Vitsentzos Kornaros (Βιτσένζος Κορνάρος). Another major Cretan literary figure was Nicholas Kalliakis (1645–1707), a Greek scholar and philosopher who flourished in Italy in the 17th Century. Georgios Hortatzis was author of the dramatic work "Erophile". The painter Domenicos Theotocopoulos, better known as El Greco,
Cavalcade Painter with a gorgon’s head. On one piece, he painted the suicide of Ajax, accompanied by several name inscriptions. His craters also depict friezes of horsemen, fighting scenes, cavalcades and animal friezes. His most important work on that shape depicts a nuptial couple in a chariot. That work marks already the transition to Late Corinthian vase painting. Nine works by him are known; findspots include Aegina and Kameiros. Cavalcade Painter The Cavalcade Painter is the conventional name for an ancient Greek vase painter who produced Corinthian black figure vases. He was active during the Middle Corinthian period, around 580 BC. The