Back Las (Lakonien) ALS Las Catalan Las (Lakedaimon) German Λας Greek Las (ciudad) Spanish Las Finnish
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 the only town on the coast mentioned in the Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax[3] between Taenarus and Gythium. The Periplus speaks of its port; but, according to Pausanias, the town itself was 10 stadia distant from the sea, and 40 stadia from Gythium.[4] In the time of Pausanias (2nd century) the town lay in a hollow between the three mountains, Asia, Ilium, and Cnacadium; but the old town stood on the summit of Mt. Asia. The name of Las signified the rock on which it originally stood. 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.[5][6] There was also a mountain in Laconia called Lapersa.[7]
- ^ a b Homer. Iliad. Vol. 2.585.
- ^ Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. Vol. s.v.
- ^ p. 17
- ^ Pausanias (1918). "24.6". Description of Greece. Vol. 3. Translated by W. H. S. Jones; H. A. Ormerod. Cambridge, Massachusetts; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann – via Perseus Digital Library.
- ^ Strabo. Geographica. Vol. viii. p.364. Page numbers refer to those of Isaac Casaubon's edition.
- ^ Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. Vol. sub voce Λα.
- ^ Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. Vol. sub voce Λαπερσα.