Prasiae or Prasiai ( Ancient Greek: Πρασιαί), [1] [2] [3] or Prasia (Πρασία), [4] [5] also known as Brasiae or Brasiai (Βρασιαί), [6] was a town on the eastern coast of ancient Laconia, described by Pausanias as the farthest of the Eleuthero-Laconian places on this part of the coast, and as distant 200 stadia by sea from Cyphanta. [6] The Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax speaks of it as a city and a harbour. [4]
The name of the town was derived by the inhabitants from the noise of the waves (Βράζειν). Pausanias relates a story, found nowhere else in Greece, that Semele, after giving birth to her son by Zeus, was discovered by Cadmus and put with Dionysus into a chest, which was washed up by the waves at Prasiae. Semele, who was no longer alive when found, received a splendid funeral, but the Prasiaeans brought up Dionysus and changed the name of their town from Oreiatae or Oreiatai (Ὀρειάταί) to Brasiae. [7] [a]
It was an important Spartan naval base during the Peloponnesian War. It was burnt by the Athenians in the second year of the Peloponnesian War, 430 BCE. [1] [3] Also in 414 BCE, the Athenians, in conjunction with the Argives, ravaged the coast near Prasiae. [10] In the Macedonian period Prasiae, with other Laconian towns on this coast, passed into the hands of the Argives; [11] whence Strabo calls it one of the Argive towns, [2] though in another passage he says that it belonged at an earlier period to the Lacedaemonians. [12] It was restored to Laconia by Augustus, who made it one of the Eleuthero-Laconian towns. [13] Among the curiosities of Prasiae Pausanias mentions a cave where Ino nursed Dionysus; a temple of Asclepius and another of Achilles, and a small promontory upon which stood four brazen figures not more than a foot in height. [14]
It is located near Paralio Leonidi. [15] [16]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Prasiae". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
37°08′56″N 22°52′55″E / 37.149°N 22.882°E
Prasiae or Prasiai ( Ancient Greek: Πρασιαί), [1] [2] [3] or Prasia (Πρασία), [4] [5] also known as Brasiae or Brasiai (Βρασιαί), [6] was a town on the eastern coast of ancient Laconia, described by Pausanias as the farthest of the Eleuthero-Laconian places on this part of the coast, and as distant 200 stadia by sea from Cyphanta. [6] The Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax speaks of it as a city and a harbour. [4]
The name of the town was derived by the inhabitants from the noise of the waves (Βράζειν). Pausanias relates a story, found nowhere else in Greece, that Semele, after giving birth to her son by Zeus, was discovered by Cadmus and put with Dionysus into a chest, which was washed up by the waves at Prasiae. Semele, who was no longer alive when found, received a splendid funeral, but the Prasiaeans brought up Dionysus and changed the name of their town from Oreiatae or Oreiatai (Ὀρειάταί) to Brasiae. [7] [a]
It was an important Spartan naval base during the Peloponnesian War. It was burnt by the Athenians in the second year of the Peloponnesian War, 430 BCE. [1] [3] Also in 414 BCE, the Athenians, in conjunction with the Argives, ravaged the coast near Prasiae. [10] In the Macedonian period Prasiae, with other Laconian towns on this coast, passed into the hands of the Argives; [11] whence Strabo calls it one of the Argive towns, [2] though in another passage he says that it belonged at an earlier period to the Lacedaemonians. [12] It was restored to Laconia by Augustus, who made it one of the Eleuthero-Laconian towns. [13] Among the curiosities of Prasiae Pausanias mentions a cave where Ino nursed Dionysus; a temple of Asclepius and another of Achilles, and a small promontory upon which stood four brazen figures not more than a foot in height. [14]
It is located near Paralio Leonidi. [15] [16]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Prasiae". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
37°08′56″N 22°52′55″E / 37.149°N 22.882°E