ir ate ▁of ▁Cre te ▁( ca . ▁ 8 2 7 – 9 6 1 ). ▁The ▁Sar ac ens ▁allowed ▁the ▁port ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁safe ▁haven ▁for ▁pir ates ▁who ▁operated ▁against ▁Imperial ▁( By z antine ) ▁sh ipping ▁and ▁ra ided ▁Imperial ▁territory ▁around ▁the ▁A ege an . ▁ ▁By z antine ▁era ▁ ▁In ▁ 9 6 0 , ▁By z antine ▁forces ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁N ike ph or os ▁Ph ok as , ▁later ▁to ▁become ▁Emperor , ▁land ed ▁in ▁Cre te ▁and ▁attacked ▁the ▁city . ▁After ▁a ▁prolong ed ▁sie ge , ▁the ▁city ▁fell ▁in ▁March ▁ 9 6 1 . ▁The ▁Sar ac en ▁inhabitants ▁were ▁sla ugh tered , ▁the ▁city ▁lo oted ▁and ▁burn ed ▁to ▁the ▁ground . ▁So on ▁re built , ▁the ▁town ▁remained ▁under ▁By z antine ▁control ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁ 2 4 3 ▁years . ▁ ▁Ven et ian ▁era ▁▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 2 0 4 , ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁bought ▁by ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Ven ice ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁complicated ▁political ▁deal ▁which ▁involved , ▁among ▁other ▁things , ▁the ▁Cr us aders ▁of ▁the ▁Four th ▁Cr us ade ▁rest oring ▁the ▁de posed ▁Eastern ▁Roman ▁Emperor ▁Isaac ▁II ▁Angel us ▁to ▁his ▁throne . ▁The ▁Ven et ians ▁improved ▁on ▁the ▁d itch ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁by ▁building ▁enorm ous ▁fort ifications , ▁most ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁still ▁in ▁place , ▁including ▁a