HIERAPYTNA(Ἱεράπυτνα, Strab. 9. p. 440, x. pp. 472, 475; Plin. Nat. 4.20; Ἱερὰ Πύτνα, Ptol. 3.17.4, where some MSS. have Ἱερὰ Πέτρα;Steph. B.; Inscrip. ap. Gruter, p. 595; Ἱεράπυδνα, Dio Cass.; Hierocl. Ἱερά Πύδνς, Stadiasm.;Hiera, Peut. Tab.), a town of Crete, of which Strabo (l. c.) says that it stood in the narrowest part of the island, opposite Minoa. Hierapytna, according to the Coast-describer, was 180 stadia from Biennus, which agrees with the distance of 20 M. P. assigned to it by the Peutinger Table. It was a town of great antiquity, and its foundation was ascribed to the Corybantes; it bore the successive names of Cyrba, Pytna, Camirus, and Hierapytna. (Strab. p. 472; Steph. B. s. v.) From an inscription preserved among the Oxford marbles, it appears that the Hierapytnians were at one time allied with the neighbouring city of Priansus. (Böckh, Corp. Inscrip. Graec. n. 2556; Höck, Kreta, vol. 3. p. 472.) Traces of this city have been found at the Kastéleof Hierápetra. (Pashley, Trav. vol. 1. p. 271.) There are both autonomous and imperial coins belonging to Hierapytna; the symbol on the former is generally a palm tree. (Eckhel, vol. 2. p. 313.) COIN OF HIERAPYTNA.
[E.B.J]