Marathonisi
| Marathonisi (Μαραθονήσι) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Waters | Mediterranean Sea | |
| Geographical location | 36 ° 45 ′ 13 " N , 22 ° 34 ′ 25" E | |
|
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| length | 413 m | |
| width | 170 m | |
| surface | 5.16 hectares | |
| Residents | uninhabited | |
Marathonisi ( Greek Μαραθονήσι ), in ancient times Kranaë ( Greek Κρανάη , Latin Cranae ) is a small island southeast of Gythio . The offshore island with a pine forest and a lighthouse delimits the port city from the open sea.
In the middle of the islet is the Giannetakis Tower, the residential tower of the Gregorakis family, which now houses a museum. The island has been linked to the mainland by a dam since 1898.
history
Marathonisi was already settled during the Early Helladic (= Early Bronze Age ). During the late Mycenaean period ( Späthelladikum III) the settlement area comprised about half of the island and was therefore a not insignificant place. Mycenaean burial chambers and the remains of a tholos were also discovered on Mount Mavrovouni , 2 km south of Gythio . These finds and others in the vicinity suggest a Mycenaean center. At the end of the Bronze Age, the settlement on the island was abandoned.
According to the Greek legend, Paris and Helena spent their first night of love here.
During the Greek struggles for freedom , the small island was one of the main centers of the Greek Revolution and one of the most important places of the Free Laconic League . After the outbreak of the revolution in 1821, the Gregorakis family, members of the Filiki Eteria , hoisted the revolutionary flag on Marathonisi on March 23, making the island the center of operations for the Greek fleet.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Helen Waterhouse & R. Hope Simpson: Prehistoric Laconia: Part II ; in: The Annual of the British School at Athens 56; p. 114.