Crete was a strategic point in the eastern Mediterranean and it was a challenge for the Roman Empire. In 74 BC Mark Antony started a military campaign against the island, but the Cretans were well-prepared and defeated him at sea. Later in 69 BC the Romans conquered Crete and it became a Roman province until 369 AD.

A lot of Roman remains are found in archaeological sites of the Minoan Plain, such as a Roman bridge over the River Mintri, a Roman farmhouse in the village Smari and a Roman aqueduct in Ancient Lyttos.