Geronthrae or Geronthrai (Ancient Greek: Γερόνθραι),[1] or Geranthrae or Geranthrai (Γεράνθραι),[2] also written as Gerenthrae or Gerenthrai (Γερένθραι),[3] was a town of ancient Laconia, situated in a commanding position upon the southwestern face of the mountain above the plain of the Eurotas.
We learn from Pausanias that Geronthrae possessed a temple and grove of Ares, to whom a yearly festival was celebrated, from which women were excluded.
[4] Geronthrae was one of the ancient Achaean cities which resisted for a long time the Dorian conquerors.
[5] At the beginning of the 4th century CE it must have been a market-town of some importance, since a Greek translation of the edict of Diocletian, "De Pretiis Rerum Venalium", has been discovered at Geraki.
[6][7] On the northern side of the summit of the citadel are the remains of a very ancient wall: the position of the agora is indicated by the fountains of water lower down the hill.