Laurium
Encyclopedia
Laurium or Lavrio is a town in southeastern part of Attica
, Greece
. It is the seat of the municipality of Lavreotiki
. Laurium was famous in Classical antiquity
for silver mining
, which was one of the chief sources of revenue of the Athenian
state. The metallic silver
was mainly used for coinage
. It was notorious for the poor treatment of the slaves who worked in the mines. It is a sea port of much less importance than nearby Piraeus
.
It is located about 60 km SE of Athens, SE of Keratea
and N of Cape Sounio. Laurium is situated on a bay overlooking the island of Makronisos
(ancient times: Helena) in the east. The port is in the middle and gridded streets cover the residential area of Lavrio. GR-89 runs through Lavrio and ends south in Sounio.
After the battle of Marathon
, Themistocles
persuaded the Athenians to devote the anticipated revenue derived from a major silver vein strike in the mines of Laurion circa 483 BC to expanding the Athenian fleet to 200 triremes, and thus laid the foundation of the Athenian naval power. The mines, which were the property of the state, were usually farmed out for a certain fixed sum and a percentage on the working; slave labour
was exclusively employed. Towards the end of the 5th century, the output fell, partly owing to the Sparta
n occupation of Decelea
. But the mines continued to be worked, though Strabo
records that in his time the tailings were being worked over, and Pausanias
speaks of the mines as a thing of the past. The ancient workings, consisting of shafts and galleries for excavating the ore, and washing tables for concentrating the ore, may still be seen at many locations. There were well engineered tanks and reservoirs to collect rainwater for washing the ore since abundant supplies from streams or rivers was impossible at the site.
The mines were reworked in the early 20th century by French
and Greek companies, but mainly for lead
, manganese
and cadmium
.
The population of the modern town was 10,007 in 1907.
Lavrio is connect to Athens by car using the Lavrio/Sounio Leoforos (Highway) and then Attiki Odos
. This trip takes about an hour.
A quite convenient solution to go to Athens is to "park and drive". Drive from Lavrio to Koropi Train Station and there take the train 'proastiakos' or metro that goes straight to Athens center. (30 minutes drive + 30 minutes train)
Lavrio was the terminal station of the Athens-Lavrion Railway, which was abandoned in 1957.
The mining town of Laurium, Michigan
was named after the famous Greek Laurium.
Attica Prefecture
Attica Prefecture was a prefecture of Greece, established from the Attica and Boeotia Prefecture in 1899. From 1971, it consisted of the following prefectural-level administrations :# Athens# East Attica# Piraeus# West Attica...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It is the seat of the municipality of Lavreotiki
Lavreotiki
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 ....
. Laurium was famous in Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
for silver mining
Silver mining
Silver mining refers to the resource extraction of the precious metal element silver by mining.-History:Silver has been known since ancient times. It is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and slag heaps found in Asia Minor and on the islands of the Aegean Sea indicate that silver was being separated...
, which was one of the chief sources of revenue of the Athenian
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...
state. The metallic 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...
was mainly used for coinage
Coinage
Coinage may refer to:* coins, standardized as currency* neologism, coinage of a new word* COINage, numismatics magazine* Tin coinage, a tax on refined tin* ancestry* Coinage, a board game...
. It was notorious for the poor treatment of the slaves who worked in the mines. It is a sea port of much less importance than nearby Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
.
It is located about 60 km SE of Athens, SE of Keratea
Keratea
Keratea 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...
and N of Cape Sounio. Laurium is situated on a bay overlooking the island of Makronisos
Makronisos
Makronisos is an island in the Aegean sea, in Greece and is located close to the coast of Attica, facing the port of Lavrio. It has an elongated shape and its terrain is arid and rocky. In ancient times the island was called Helena. It is part of the prefecture of the Cyclades but it is not part...
(ancient times: Helena) in the east. The port is in the middle and gridded streets cover the residential area of Lavrio. GR-89 runs through Lavrio and ends south in Sounio.
History
Battle of Marathon
The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. It was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate...
, 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...
persuaded the Athenians to devote the anticipated revenue derived from a major silver vein strike in the mines of Laurion circa 483 BC to expanding the Athenian fleet to 200 triremes, and thus laid the foundation of the Athenian naval power. The mines, which were the property of the state, were usually farmed out for a certain fixed sum and a percentage on the working; slave labour
Slavery in Ancient Greece
Slavery was common practice and an integral component of ancient Greece throughout its rich history, as it was in other societies of the time including ancient Israel and early Christian societies. It is estimated that in Athens, the majority of citizens owned at least one slave...
was exclusively employed. Towards the end of the 5th century, the output fell, partly owing to the Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
n occupation of Decelea
Decelea
Decelea , modern Dekeleia or Dekelia, Deceleia or Decelia, previous name Tatoi, was an ancient village in northern Attica serving as a trade route connecting Euboea with Athens, Greece. The historian Herodotus reports that its citizens enjoyed a special relationship with Sparta. The Spartans took...
. But the mines continued to be worked, though Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
records that in his time the tailings were being worked over, and Pausanias
Pausanias (geographer)
Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between classical...
speaks of the mines as a thing of the past. The ancient workings, consisting of shafts and galleries for excavating the ore, and washing tables for concentrating the ore, may still be seen at many locations. There were well engineered tanks and reservoirs to collect rainwater for washing the ore since abundant supplies from streams or rivers was impossible at the site.
The mines were reworked in the early 20th century by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Greek companies, but mainly for 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...
, manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
and cadmium
Cadmium
Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, bluish-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Similar to zinc, it prefers oxidation state +2 in most of its compounds and similar to mercury it shows a low...
.
The population of the modern town was 10,007 in 1907.
Facilities
The Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is 35 km away from Lavrio or about 30 minutes drive.Lavrio is connect to Athens by car using the Lavrio/Sounio Leoforos (Highway) and then Attiki Odos
Attiki Odos
Attiki Odos is a privately owned toll motorway in Greece. The Proastiakos high-speed suburban rail is set almost entirely in the median of the motorway, along its main section. The motorway's numbers are 6 for the main section, 64 for the Hymettus Beltway and 65 for the Aigaleo Beltway...
. This trip takes about an hour.
A quite convenient solution to go to Athens is to "park and drive". Drive from Lavrio to Koropi Train Station and there take the train 'proastiakos' or metro that goes straight to Athens center. (30 minutes drive + 30 minutes train)
Lavrio was the terminal station of the Athens-Lavrion Railway, which was abandoned in 1957.
The mining town of Laurium, Michigan
Laurium, Michigan
Laurium is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan, in the center of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The population was 2,126 at the 2000 census.-History:...
was named after the famous Greek Laurium.