Lavreotiki
Encyclopedia
Lavreotiki is a municipality
at the southeasternnmost tip of the Attica
peninsula
in the Greek
prefecture of East Attica
. Its municipal seat is the town of Laurium
(Lavrio).
It is historically important as a significant ancient mining
district, most notably in the villages of Laurium and Thorikos
on the southeastern seaboard during the 6th, 5th, and 4th centuries BCE. As such it financed the wealth of Athens
and the emergence of the Athenian Empire through the slave-powered mining efforts for silver
and lead
, beginning with the discovery of 2 deep-vein mining efforts during the 480's. Prior to that development, which at Themistocles
urging in 483 BC
led to the expansion of the Athenian fleet to 200 ships, only surface-mining was deployed as a technique for harvesting silver. More than 250 ore washeries have been identified by archaeologists and geologist
s in the district.
Communities and Municipalities of Greece
For the new municipalities of Greece see the Kallikratis ProgrammeThe municipalities and communities of Greece are one of several levels of government within the organizational structure of that country. Thirteen regions called peripheries form the largest unit of government beneath the State. ...
at the southeasternnmost tip of the Attica
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
in the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
prefecture of East Attica
East Attica
East Attica is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Attica. The capital of the regional unit is the town of Pallini. The regional unit covers the eastern part of the agglomeration of Athens, and also the rural area to its east....
. Its municipal seat is the town of Laurium
Laurium
Laurium or Lavrio is a town in southeastern part of Attica, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of Lavreotiki...
(Lavrio).
It is historically important as a significant ancient mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
district, most notably in the villages of Laurium and Thorikos
Thoricus
Thoricus was an ancient Greek city in southern Attica, where lead and silver was mined. There is a theatre dating from ca. 525-480 BC.-History:...
on the southeastern seaboard during the 6th, 5th, and 4th centuries BCE. As such it financed the wealth of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and the emergence of the Athenian Empire through the slave-powered mining efforts for silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, beginning with the discovery of 2 deep-vein mining efforts during the 480's. Prior to that development, which at Themistocles
Themistocles
Themistocles ; c. 524–459 BC, was an Athenian politician and a general. He was one of a new breed of politicians who rose to prominence in the early years of the Athenian democracy, along with his great rival Aristides...
urging in 483 BC
483 BC
Year 483 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vibulanus and Potitus...
led to the expansion of the Athenian fleet to 200 ships, only surface-mining was deployed as a technique for harvesting silver. More than 250 ore washeries have been identified by archaeologists and geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
s in the district.
Municipality
The municipality Lavreotiki was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:- Agios KonstantinosAgios Konstantinos, East AtticaAgios Konstantinos |Saint Constantine]]) is a town in East Attica, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lavreotiki, of which it is a municipal unit....
- KerateaKerateaKeratea is a town in East Attica, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lavreotiki, of which it is a municipal unit.Keratea is linked with a highway to Glyka Nera and Sounio...
- Lavreotiki
Settlements
The settlements within the municipal district of Lavreotiki are (population at 2001 census):- LauriumLauriumLaurium or Lavrio is a town in southeastern part of Attica, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of Lavreotiki...
(8,558) - Ano Thoriko (252)
- Thorikos (265)
- Kato Poseidonia (794)
- Kato Sounio (290)
- Legrena (453)
Historical population
| Year | Laurium | Lavreotiki |
|---|---|---|
| 1907 | 10,007 | - |
| 1981 | 10,124 | - |
| 1991 | 8,846 | 10,293 |
| 2001 | 8,558 | 10,612 |
Sources
- Austin, M M., and P Vidal-Naquet. Economic and Social History of Ancient Greece: an Introduction. 1st English ed. Berkeley: University of California P, 1977. 1-397.
- Fine, John V. A. The Ancient Greeks: A Critical History. Harvard University Press, 1983
- Finley, M.I., The Ancient Economy. 2nd Ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985, c1973
- Healy, John F. Mining and Metallurgy in the Greek and Roman World. London: Thames and Hudson, 1978.
- Hopper, R J. Trade and Industry in Classical Greece. London: Thames and Hudson, 1979. 6-240.