Mythological Mani
read time: 4 mins
In Greece, myth is so often intermingled with its historical past
The Mani is an area regarded with a degree of suspicion in some parts of Greece: it is seen as remote, unsophisticated and possibly lawless. And it is perhaps not difficult to understand why. The tower houses were, after all, built for a purpose – for neighbours to fight each other – and it was certainly one area of Greece which the Turks failed to subdue in all their years of occupation. Maniots are fighters. And yes, they had their own attitude to officialdom and regulations.
But this view of the Mani is a narrow one and ignores its long and eventful past. From Roman times, through the Byzantine and Ottoman periods which followed, Maniots have taken part in every major conflict. And of course they take the credit for starting the Greek War of Independence against the Turks in 1821 (even if they can’t agree on the precise date!)
What I would like to focus on here, though, is the mythology of the Mani. In Greece myth is so often intermingled with its historical past. Ancient Greeks had vivid imaginations and were excellent story-tellers. No surprise, therefore that factual events were embroidered to make them more memorable. An early example of the impact of mythology is found down at the very tip of the Mani peninsula. Near the lighthouse is a large cave complex, difficult now to access, which the Greeks claimed was one of the entrances to Hades and the Underworld. Heracles, according to myth, used this entrance for his last Labour: to kidnap Cerberus, the three-headed dog which guarded the entrance to Hades.
The Mani is home to many such myths from the distant past. I remember being on a bus some thirty years ago and seeing by the roadside the name of the small village we were approaching: Kardamyli. Something stirred in my rusty brain. What???! Wasn’t that the name of one of the towns offered in the Iliad to Achilles by Agamemnon as a bribe to stop sulking and rejoin the battle at Troy? I checked as soon as I had access to the Iliad and indeed it was the very same village; Homer describes it as ‘a rocky citadel strongly settled, near the sea’. So this small village where I now go every February to renew my IKA health cover has enjoyed that location for about 3,000 years. Food for thought.
Modern day Thalames
Thalames, a village further south, beyond Platsa, dates from the same period and is part of the same story-line, but one which originates in a much better known city over the Taygetos mountains – Sparta. It may be a rather modest market town today but Sparta had a hugely illustrious past as a military machine and, as ever, this was reflected in the myths it inspired. The Trojan War must be one of the best known of all the Greek myths and is a perfect illustration of how fairly humdrum historical fact can be transformed into a story that has enthralled readers for centuries, a story with Sparta at its heart.
It is generally accepted by historians, supported by archaeological evidence, that a war (a series of wars in fact) did take place at Hisarlik, a city in Turkey on the plains near the entrance to the Black Sea and identified as Troy from the layers of violent destruction revealed. One of those layers, a particularly violent one, can be dated to the twelfth century BCE which is precisely when the Greeks’ successful attack, led by Agamemnon, was supposedly launched. The actual motive behind the attack was undoubtedly a flare-up in the interminable trade squabbles in that part of the world. (Troy was perfectly positioned on the busy route from the fairly arid parts of the Greek world to the lands around the Black Sea with their fertile produce; mooring and access rights provided Troy with rich pickings). But a trade war does not make an interesting read. Greek imagination took over , producing one of the best stories of antiquity, centred around the elopement of Helen (married to Menelaos, king of Sparta) with Paris, a dashing young prince of Troy. The rallying of various kings and warriors of Greece to exact revenge and rescue Helen does not need to be retold here – it is too well known and has endless subplots. So I will limit myself to the details relevant to the Mani.
At some point in the years before the Trojan War, myth would have us believe that Tyndareos, king of Sparta, was overthrown by his brother and obliged to take refuge with his wife, Leda, at a suitably safe distance – in Thalames in fact. To a modern visitor this may seem a strange choice: one of a string of villages on the road south to Areopoli, between Nomitsi and Langada. But in antiquity Thalames was highly regarded as an oracle where supplicants would sleep overnight in a temple sacred to Pasiphae, goddess of the moon, and in the morning hear their future predicted by priestesses who interpreted their dreams. Spartan kings were even known to consult the oracle on state matters. So not such a surprise that Tyndareos should choose to settle there. (In fact Thalames’ renown survived for many many years – in the second century CE it was important enough to erect a bronze statue to the Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, the base of which survives to this day below the taverna, O Platanos).
But to return to Tyndareos and the myth. Leda was exceptionally beautiful and caught the attention of Zeus, renowned for his wandering eye. No-one can resist the overtures of the king of the gods and Leda was duly seduced – at Kalogria according to some versions of the myth. If you imagine the beach there without the buildings and the sun-beds which have destroyed its natural beauty you can understand his choice. Less easy to understand is his decision to take the form of a swan for the seduction! But all is possible for gods; the seduction took place and nine months later, we are told, Leda produced two eggs which contained four offspring: two females, Helen and Clytemnestra, and two males, Castor and Pollux. The two brothers are known as the Dioscouri. This area bears witness still to the event. Have you ever had lunch at Dioscouri, the taverna in Kardamili overlooking the harbour? Or seen the island below Thalames bearing a large sculpted egg in recognition of the deed? Or walked past their tombs en route to Agia Sophia?
Tyndareos was eventually, with Heracles’ help, restored to his throne in Sparta where Helen grew up, even more beautiful than her mother. She was therefore the obvious candidate to fulfill Aphrodite’s promise to Paris of ‘the most beautiful woman in the world’. (Just unfortunate that she was already married to Menelaos who had powerful friends…..) Paris and Helen, according to myth, spent their first night together on Cranae, just off Gytheion. The rest is history – or rather mythology – famously recounted by Homer and much more interesting than a war over trade.
This is one of the reasons I love living here. Its natural beauty, the mountains, the sea, the villages which welcome you so warmly, are obvious attractions but underneath all that there is the call of the past – its history and, more elusively, its mythology.
Glenda Dean
Great article, thank you! Much to digest.
A fun read. Are there location photos of the Marcus Aurelious pedestal and the oracle?
Excellent read, really interesting to find out more about the places we visit so regularly. Thank you!