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~Mani's History~ |
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The shipwreck near Gythio |
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Mani�s history begins from the time of the bloodthirsty tyrant Navidos of Sparta (207 � 192 B.C), who wanted to steal the Spartians� property and started a destructive war against them, forcing them to move away from Lacaedemona, at the coasts of Laconia. There they formed the �Lacaedemonian Common�, a union completely independent from Sparta, which was renamed to �Free Laconians� Common� on 21 B.C. The Free Laconians� Common was independent during the Roman period but it was dissolved during the reign of emperor Dioklitianos, when the administration of the Roman Empire was reformed. Until 9th century A.D the habitants of Laconia lived isolated at their inaccessible mountains. |
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The Limeni Tower near Itilo |
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The Byzantine Emperor Konstantine Porfyrogennetos writes that they were christianized during the reign of Basil The Macedonian at his book �To my son Romanus�. At the same time he informs us that they come from �the oldest Romans� and that they are not related with the Slavs who had been established there during the 5th century A.D. Mani habitants where called �the ones of Maini castle� during the Porfyrogennetos period, because as it seems the small castle of Maini was built where the harbor of Mezapos is today, during Ioustinianos period. |
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The origin of the word �Maini� isn�t exactly known. According to the most possible acceptation, they used the latin language on the administration acts that time, and because of Taygetus shape of a hand (later, the Venetians named the place �Brazzo�, which means arm, and people today call Taygetus Pentadaktylo, which means five-fingered), the fortress was named �Manus�(hand) � Maini as it is called by the Greeks. |
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Delfinia beach of Proastio |
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So, using the local language the name �Mani� was formed, and from the word �Mainoti�(as they are known today abroad) the people were called �Maniates�. However, there are also other acceptations regarding to the etymology of the word Mani. |
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During the domination by the Franks, which followed the conquest of Constantinople from the Latins of the 4th Crusade (1204 A.D.), the Mainoti, although almost by themselves, fighted actively with the use of weapons the foreign invaders and they maintained their freedom for a long time, but finally they didn�t manage to keep the Franks away. |
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From 1210 A.D. the baron and chief commander of Moreas Jean de Noullie, began building the fortress of Pasava at the remains of the city Las, on the hill that controlled the sort passage from Mani to Gythio, to inspect and prevent the moves of the wild Mainoti. |
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The island Meropi near Kardamyli |
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At the same time other fortresses were built. When the Franks were chased off from western Peloponnese, Mani was contained to the Byzantine despotic county of Mystras and became the powerful ally of the Palaiologos Dynasty. |
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Me at the Proastio gefyri |
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After the conquest of Constantinople from the Turks (1453 A.D.) the Sultan Mohammed B� marched against Peloponese and conquered Moreas county on 1460 A.D. The war between Turks and Venetians started on 1963 A.D. The Mainoti fought by Venetians side against the Turks, but when the war ended and peace was signed they were left to the Turks, and then the Mainoti started a revolution with Crocodilo Klada as leader, son of Theodoros, who was the last Byzantine commander of the county. Kladas� revolution caused a new conflict with Turks. When these Turks were defeated too, new, more powerful forces arrived from both Kalamata and Gythio to Mani. Kladas was forced to embark on the ships that belonged to the king of Neapoli with many of his men. After Kladas� departure, most of the Turkish army left Mani, Mainoti chased off the few remaining Turks and occupied Vardounohoria. After that the Mainoti where always ready for war, protecting their country from any invasion. From time to time the Turks managed to penetrate at the mountains, but they were decimated and they were forced to withdraw. Finally, when everyone abandoned the Mainoti, they recognized the Turkish suzerainty, but the Turks hadn�t the right to maintain forces on their ground. They only had to pay a tax that they never actually paid. |
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