Lávrion

Lavrio Λαύριον
Location
Laurium
Coordinates	37°42′N 24°3′E / 37.7°N 24.05°E / 37.7; 24.05Coordinates: 37°42′N 24°3′E / 37.7°N 24.05°E / 37.7; 24.05
Government
Country:	Greece
Periphery:	Attica
Prefecture:	East Attica
Population statistics (as of 2001[1])
City
- Population:	9,891
Other
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (min-max):	0 - 11 m (0 - 36 ft)
Postal:	195 xx

Laurium, Laurion, or Laureion (Λαύριον or Λαύρειον, Thoricum before early 1000s BC, Ergastiri 'workshop' from medieval times to 19th century) is a town in southeastern part of Attica, Greece and is one of the southernmost and the seat of the municipality of Lavreotiki, famous in Classical antiquity for the silver mines which were one of the chief sources of revenue of the Athenian state, and were employed for coinage; and notorious for the treatment of the slaves who mined it. In modern times, the town is also known as Lavrio or Lavrion. It is a sea port of much less importance than nearby Piraeus.

It is located about 60 km SE of Athens, SE of Keratea and N of Cape Sounio.

Laurium is situated on a bay overlooking the island of Makronisos (ancient times: Helena) in the east. The port is in the middle and gridded streets cover the residential area of Lavrio. GR-91 runs through Lavrio and ends south in Sounio.

Communities

• Ano Sounio
• Aspro Lithari
• Kato Sounio (pop. 193, 1991)
• Kato Posidonia or Passas (pop.794, 2001)
• Legrena
• Thorikos

Historical population

A banner spelling 'LAVRIO' in the Greek alphabet.

History

After the battle of Marathon, Themistocles persuaded the Athenians to devote the anticipated revenue derived from a major silver vein strike in the mines circa 483 BC to expanding the Athenian fleet to 200 triremes, and thus laid the foundation of the Athenian naval power. The mines, which were the property of the state, were usually farmed out for a certain fixed sum and a percentage on the working; slave labour was exclusively employed. Towards the end of the 5th century the output was diminished, partly owing to the Spartan occupation of Decelea. But the mines continued to be worked, though Strabo records that in his time the tailings were being worked over, and Pausanias speaks of the mines as a thing of the past. The ancient workings, consisting of shafts and galleries for excavating the ore, and pans and other arrangements for extracting the metal, may still be seen.

The mines were still worked in the early 20th century by French and Greek companies, but mainly for lead, manganese and cadmium.

The population of the modern town was 10,007 in 1907.

It is now connected by the new Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport and Attiki Odos. The nearest town is Keratea.

It used to have a nearby train station but the Athens-Lavrion Railway was abandoned in the mid-20th century.

The mining town of Laurium, Michigan was named after the famous Greek Laurium.

See also

• List of municipalities of Attica

References

Notes

• E Ardaillon, "Les Mines du Laurion dans l'antiquite," No. Ixxvii. of the Bibliothéque des Ecoles francaises d'Athênes et de Rome.

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Laurium

• (Greek) About the abandoned railway line Athens - Lavrio
• Mapquest - Lavrio