▁BC ). ▁Between ▁ 1 6 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 5 2 5 ▁BC , ▁the ▁port ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁a ▁vol can ic ▁t sun ami ▁from ▁nearby ▁Sant or ini , ▁level ing ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁covering ▁it ▁with ▁ash . ▁ ▁Anti qu ity ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁M ino ans , ▁Her ak l ion , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁Cre te ▁in ▁general , ▁f ared ▁poor ly , ▁with ▁very ▁little ▁development ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁Only ▁with ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁did ▁some ▁construction ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁begin , ▁yet ▁especially ▁early ▁into ▁By z antine ▁times ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁ab ound ▁with ▁pir ates ▁and ▁band its . ▁ ▁Em ir ate ▁of ▁Cre te ▁ ▁The ▁present ▁city ▁of ▁Her ak l ion ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 8 2 4 ▁by ▁the ▁Arab s ▁under ▁Ab u ▁H af s ▁U mar ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁exp elled ▁from ▁Al - And alus ▁by ▁Em ir ▁Al - H ak am ▁I ▁and ▁had ▁taken ▁over ▁the ▁island ▁from ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁They ▁built ▁a ▁mo at ▁around ▁the ▁city ▁for ▁protection , ▁and ▁named ▁the ▁city ▁ra b ḍ ▁al - ḫ anda q ▁( ر ب ض ▁ال خ ن د ق , ▁" Cast le ▁of ▁the ▁Mo at ", ▁h ellen ized ▁as ▁ Χ ά ν δ α ξ , ▁Ch and ax ). ▁It ▁became ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁Em