The history of Ermioni
“Ermioni is among the cities which are not insignificant”
As Stravon, the historian, quotes referring to the town which is situated at the southeastern edge of Argolida, in the south of Greece; a town whose history can be traced back in history.
Built and rebuilt at the same place, Ermioni has been inhabited nearly and almost continuously since 3,000 B.C. Homer mentions in his works – including Iliad – that the town took part in the Trojan War. It has thrived greatly since the 5th century B.C. The town’s prosperous development as a major centre of the ancient world can be attributed to its agriculture, its shipbuilding and its fishery but most importantly to its coasts which were rich with ‘porfyra’, a really important red seashell. Its inhabitants, Hermionians, processed the porfyra in a special way thus producing the red colour, called ‘porfyro’, used by the kings of the time, including Alexander the Great, in order to dye their tunics. The people’s wealth of the past can be attested by the findings of silver and bronze coins portraying Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture and vegetation, dating back in 550 B.C. The town’s prosperity is attested by the existence of a plethora of tutors of music, including Lasus, the Greek lyric poet and rhapsodic who was Pindar’s tutor.
During the Roman era, Ermioni thrived greatly. The building of the aqueduct which carried water into scattering cisterns that were hacked into rocks and watered the inhabitants throughout the whole town of the time was completed during that period. Pausanias, the famous geographer and traveler, visited the place in the 2nd century A.D. and described enthusiastically its rich temples, the celebrations, the musicians and the swimming competitions, all of which added to the town’s special glory. Over the course of history, Ermioni can testify its Byzantine sovereignty and its development.
At the southeastern side of the Town Hall, a big early-Christian Basilica temple (church), with magnificent mosaic floors was discovered; a fact that proves eloquently the existence of earliest Christian cult and its dominance over the whole area. Entrenched with walls built on ruins of ancient buildings, Ermioni made its appearance during the Francocracy and was named ‘Castri’. Following a strong resistance against the Turks, the town was taken over by them. It survived through the Turkish Occupation thanks to its powerful marine; the town took part in many battles of the liberating struggle with a significant number of Hermionians. In any given historical moment, Ermioni made itself eloquently present – reaching our times with its heritage intact and its authenticity preserved.
