GYTHIUM was an ancient Achaean town on the Laconian Gulf, south-west of the mouth of the Eurotas, near the site of the modern port Marathonisi. It lay opposite the island Cranae, at the foot of the fertile valley of the Gythius. On its coins the common types are Apollo and Heracles, the founders of the city. Heracles, the Phoenician god Melkart, points to an early connexion with Tyre. The Phoenicians maintained a great trade with the shores of the Laconian Gulf, and Aphrodite Migonitis, the Phoenician Astarte, had a temple at Migonium, the modern Marathonisi. Aphrodite and Asclepius also occur on its coins, and the la·tter had a temple in the city. A great port in the period of Phoenician intercourse, Gythium became a secondary town after the Dorian conquest, as is proved by the absence of early coins; and it was only after the decay of Sparta that it again became an important city. It was the ordinary station of the Spartan fleet, and was considered the port of Sparta, from which it was distant about 30 miles. In the wars against Athens it was therefore exposed to frequent attacks. Tol-midas, the Athenian commander, burned it (455 b,c.). Later it was besieged unsuccessfully by Epaminondas (370 b.c. ). It was strongly fortified by the tyrant Nabis; but he was compelled by Flamininus to give up Gythium and other coast towns to the Achaean league (195 b.c.). When, soon afterwards, the whole country became a Roman province, Gythium had its own magistrates, στρaτayoc and ∈φopot (see inscr. in Lebas, Voyage Archeol., 242α, and Gott. Gel. Anz., 1865, p. 461). Augustus made it one of the twenty-four Eleuthero-Laconian towns. The existing ruins, called Paleopoli, are all of the Roman period. According to Strabo (p. 363), it had an artificial harbour, of which Col. ...