Las (Greece)

Las (Ancient Greek: Λᾶς and ἡ Λᾶς), or Laas (Λάας),[1] or La (Λᾶ),[2] was one of the most ancient towns of Lakedaimonia (eventually called the Mani Peninsula), located on the western coast of the Laconian Gulf.

It is mentioned by Homer in the Catalogue of Ships in the Iliad,[1] and is said to have been destroyed by the Dioscuri, who hence derived the surname of Lapersae.

[7] In ancient times Las was a Spartan possession and in 218 BC the citizens of the city fought and routed a part of Philip V of Macedon's army.

[citation needed] Las became part of the Union of Free Laconians in 195 BC when it separated from Sparta.

Livy speaks of it as "vicus maritimus",[8] and Pausanias mentions the ruins of the city on Mt.

The modern town was near a fountain called Galaco (Γαλακώ), from the milky colour of its water, and near it was a gymnasium, in which stood an ancient statue of Hermes.

The site is not mentioned in Byzantine times until after the Frankish conquest of the Peloponnese, when Mani was given to John of Nully, who built a castle at Las sometime after 1218.

This castle became known as Passavant or Passavas in Greek, a name probably related to the motto or war-cry Passe-Avant, "move forward", or to one of the similar toponyms in northeastern France.

In 1601, a Spanish fleet led by Alonso de Contreras that was raiding in the area surprised the Ottoman garrison and sacked the city.

When the leader of the Maniots was executed by the Ottomans, his mother led the men of Skoutari who dressed up as priests on Easter Sunday and were allowed entry to the castle.