▁Cre te ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁alone ; ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁name ▁was ▁K and i ye . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁By z antine ▁recon quest ▁of ▁Cre te , ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁locally ▁known ▁as ▁Meg alo ▁K astro ▁( , ▁' Big ▁Castle ' ▁in ▁Greek ) ▁and ▁its ▁inhabitants ▁were ▁called ▁K astr ino i ▁( Κ α σ τ ρ ι ν ο ί , ▁" castle - d well ers "). ▁ ▁The ▁ancient ▁name ▁ Η ρ ά κ λ ε ι ο ν ▁was ▁rev ived ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁and ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁nearby ▁Roman ▁port ▁of ▁Her acle um ▁(" Her acles ' s ▁city "), ▁whose ▁exact ▁location ▁is ▁unknown . ▁English ▁usage ▁formerly ▁preferred ▁the ▁classic izing ▁transl iter ations ▁" Her ak l ion " ▁or ▁" Her ac l ion ", ▁but ▁the ▁form ▁" I rak l ion " ▁is ▁becoming ▁more ▁common . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁M ino an ▁Era ▁ ▁Her ak l ion ▁is ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁ru ins ▁of ▁the ▁palace ▁of ▁Kn oss os , ▁which ▁in ▁M ino an ▁times ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁centre ▁of ▁population ▁on ▁Cre te . ▁Kn oss os ▁had ▁a ▁port ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁Her ak l ion ▁( at ▁Por os ▁- ▁K ats amb as ▁neighborhood ) ▁from ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁Early ▁M ino an ▁period ▁( 3 5 0 0 ▁to ▁ 2 1 0 0