Gytheio Γύθειο | |
|---|---|
 The port and promenade | |
 Location within the regional unit | |
  Gytheio | |
| Coordinates:36°45.7′N22°33.9′E / 36.7617°N 22.5650°E /36.7617; 22.5650 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Peloponnese |
| Regional unit | Laconia |
| Municipality | East Mani |
| Area | |
| • Municipal unit | 197.3 km2 (76.2 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
| • Municipal unit | 6,987 |
| • Municipal unit density | 35.41/km2 (91.72/sq mi) |
| • Community | 4,542 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 232 00 |
| Area code | 27330 |
| Vehicle registration | ΑΚ |
Gytheio (Greek:Γύθειο[ˈʝiθio]) orGythio, also the ancientGythium orGytheion (Ancient Greek:Γύθειον), is a town on the eastern shore of theMani Peninsula in thePeloponnese ofsouthern Greece, in the historical and administrative region ofLaconia. It is the largest and most important town inMani. Gytheio is the seat of the municipality ofEast Mani. Gytheio is significant in the history of Mani and theManiots.
Ancient Gytheio was the seaport ofAncient Sparta, approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles) north. Gytheio continued to be a major port until its destruction in the 4th century CE, possibly by anearthquake. Its strategic location made it a coveted possession for foreign powers into the 20th century.
The small island ofCranae, where, according to myth,Paris andHelen spent their first night together before departing forTroy, lies off the coast of Gytheio.
Gytheio was formerly a municipality inLaconia. Since a nationwide 2011 government reform it is part of the municipalityEast Mani, of which it is a municipal unit.[2] The municipal unit has an area of 197.313 km2.[3]
| Year | Town | Municipality |
|---|---|---|
| 1830[4] | 500-700 | - |
| 1910[5] | 2,000+ | - |
| 1981 | 4,354 | - |
| 1991 | 4,259 | 7,542 |
| 2001[3] | 4,479 | 7,433 |
| 2011[6] | 4,717 | 7,106 |
| 2021[1] | 4,542 | 6,987 |
Gytheio is located in the northeastern corner ofthe Mani Peninsula and lies on the northwestern end of theLaconian Gulf. Gytheio was built on a hill called Koumaros or Laryssio in one of the most fertile areas in Mani, near the mouth of theGythium River, which is usually dry and has been nicknamedXerias "dry river"; today, most of the Xerias is covered by Ermou Avenue.
Directly north and visible from the harbor is Profitis Ilias, theultra-prominent peak ofTaygetus, the mountain range whose spine juts southward into theMediterranean Sea and forms the Mani Peninsula.
On the ridgeline running south from Profitis Ilias sits theMonastery of Panayia Yiatrissa overlooking the valley toward Gytheio; theE4 hiking path connects the three, running south from Profitis Ilias, passing by the monastery, and leading to Gytheio.
Northeast of Gytheio is the delta of theEvrotas River. Offshore are several small islands; the most important of these islands isCranae, on which sits the Tzannetakis Tower (now the Historical and Cultural museum of Mani) and a lighthouse built of solid marble. Today Cranae is connected to the mainland by a causeway.
Approximately 5 km (3 mi) southwest is a passageway to the deeper Mani, historically guarded byCastle Passavas (now in ruins), which towers over the site of ancientLas. Further west is the historic city ofAreopoli and theCaves of Diros, which are important tourist attractions.
Gytheio is only 40 km (25 mi) southeast ofSparti, connected byGreek National Road 39. The town center is situated around the port. Pine trees are situated in the west and rocky mountains in the north.
The mythical founders of ancient Gythium wereHeracles andApollo,[7] who frequently appear on its coins or in other legends, andCastor and Pollux:[8] the former of these names may point to the influence ofPhoenician traders fromTyre, who visited the Laconian shores at a very early period.[9] It is thought that Gytheio may have been the center of their purple dye trade because the Laconian Gulf had a plentiful source ofmurex. In classical times it was a community of thePerioeci caste, politically dependent on Sparta, though doubtless with a municipal life of its own.[10]
In 455 BC during theFirst Peloponnesian War (460 – 445 BCE) between Sparta andAthens Gytheium was burned by the Athenian admiralTolmides, who besieged the city with 50 ships and 4,000hoplites.[8][11] It was rebuilt and likely became the shipyard for the Spartan fleet in theSecond Peloponnesian War (431 — 404 BCE). In 407 BC,Alcibiades landed there and saw the thirtytriremes the Spartans were building.[8][12] In 370 BC, theThebans under the command ofEpaminondas besieged the city successfully for three days after ravagingLaconia,[8] but it was recaptured by the Spartans three days later.
In 219 BC,Philip V of Macedon unsuccessfully attempted to capture the city.[8] UnderNabis, Gythium became a major naval arsenal and port. During theRoman-Spartan War, Gythium was captured after a lengthy siege. After the war finished, Gythium was made part of theUnion of Free Laconians underAchean protection.[13] Nabis recaptured Gythium three years and the Spartan fleet defeated the Achean fleet outside of Gythium. Gythium was liberated by aRoman fleet under the command ofAulus Atilius Serranus.
Subsequently, Gythium formed the most important of theUnion of Free Laconians, a group of twenty-four, later eighteen, communities leagued together to maintain their autonomy against Sparta and declared free byCaesar Augustus.[14] The highest officer of the confederacy was the general, who was assisted by a treasurer (rauias), while the chief magistrates of the several communities bore the title ofephors.[10]
In Roman times Gythium remained a major port and it prospered as a member of the Union.[Roman Gythium][13] As purple dye was popular inRome, Gythium exported that as well asporphyry and rose antique marble.[8] Evidence of the ancient Gythium prosperity can be found by the fact that the Romans built an ancient theatre which is well preserved today and is still used occasionally. The ancient theatre and the city'sacropolis (west of the theatre) were discovered by the archeologist Dimitris Skias in 1891. Some time in the 4th century AD, the city was destroyed.[8] What happened to Gythium is not recorded but it is thought to have been either sacked byAlaric and theVisigoths, pillaged by theSlavs or destroyed by the massive earthquake that struck the area in 375 AD.[8]
After the earthquake, Gythium was abandoned. It remained a small village throughout theByzantine andOttoman times. Its importance grew when Tzannetos Grigorakis built his tower atCranae and more people came and settled at Gytheio.[8] During theGreek War of Independence, refugees flooded intoMani and made Gytheio a major town.[15]
The modern Gytheio opened a port in the 1960s. Ferries sail from Gytheio toKythira almost daily and also toCrete twice a week. It is theSee of theDiocese of Gytheion andOitylo, headed by aMetropolitan bishop of theOrthodoxChurch of Greece. Gytheio is the largest and most important town in Mani. Most of the ruins of ancient Gythium are now submerged in the Laconian Gulf. Some walls' remains can be seen today on the sandy beach of Valtaki and in the shallow waters, where the well knownDimitrios shipwreck lies stranded. It is also the capital of the municipality of Gytheio.
The province of Gytheio (Greek:Επαρχία Γυθείου) was one of theprovinces of the Laconia Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipal units Gytheio andEast Mani.[16] It was abolished in 2006.
Gytheio istwinned with:
^ Roman Gythium: Pausanias has left us a description of the town as it existed in the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the agora, the Acropolis, the island of Cranae (Marathonisi) where Paris celebrated his nuptials with Helen of Troy, the Migonium or precinct of Aphrodite Migonitis (occupied by the modern town), and the hill Larysium (Koumaro) rising above it. The numerous remains extant, of which the theatre and the buildings partially submerged by the sea are the most noteworthy, all belong to the Roman period.[17]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Tod, Marcus Niebuhr (1911). "Gythium". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 779.
Media related toGytheio at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
