Cranae or Kranai ( ) (also Marathonisi) is an island off the coast of
Gytheio (ancient
Gythium) connected to the land by a causeway built in 1898.
Etymology
Some believe that the etymology for the name Cranae (Kranai) comes from the legendary king of Athens
Kranaos, the successor of King
Kekropas (Cecrops) as Athens was also known as "Kranaa". However the word Kranaos according to
Homer
Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
it has the following meanings: 'Rocky', 'ragged', 'hard'. Therefore, some believe that the word Kranai literally means 'rocky', 'rock'.
The name "Marathonisi" translates to 'fennel-island', as the herb
fennel
Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...
was naturally growing on this island.
History
According to legend, when
Paris of Troy abducted
Helen from
Sparta
Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...
they spent their first night in Cranae.
When
Gythium became the major port of
ancient Sparta
Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the valley of Evrotas river in Laconia, in southeastern Pe ...
, Cranae became a resting spot for traders.
When
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
became a part of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, the
beys of Mani fortified Cranae with a
Maniot tower. The tower built by the
Tzannetakis family in 1829, now houses the
Historical and Cultural Museum of Mani.
On the island there is a chapel dedicated to
St Peter (Agios Petros) which is favored by many couples to use on their weddings due to its beautiful views of the city of Gytheio and picturesque location. There is also a prominent 23m-high lighthouse built in 1873 with high-quality marble from the area of
Tainaro in south
Mani peninsula.
Gallery
Vue du village de Marathonice et des ruines de Gythium - Stephanopoli Dimo And Nicolo - 1800.jpg, View of the island in 1800
Gythios, island 01.JPG, View from Gytheio
Agios Petros - Gythio - 01.jpg, Chapel of St Peter
Lighthouse 33.jpg, Lighthouse of Cranae
Gythios, island 04.JPG, Tzanetakis' tower at Cranae
References
Sources
*
Pausanias, translated by W.H.S Jones, (1918). Pausanias Description of Greece. London: Harvard University Press. .
*
Homer
Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
, translated by Alexander Pope. The Iliad. Penguin Books Ltd; New edition (7 Mar 1996). .
{{Authority control
Landforms of Laconia
Geography of ancient Laconia
Laconian mythology
Islands of Peloponnese (region)
Places in the Iliad
East Mani