Lavreotiki () is a municipality at the southeasternnmost tip of the Attica peninsula in the Greek regional unit of East Attica. Its municipal seat is the town of Lavrio.
It is historically important as a significant ancient mining district, most notably in the villages of Lavrio and Thorikos on the southeastern seaboard during the 6th, 5th, and 4th centuries BCE. As such it financed the wealth of Athens and the emergence of the Athenian Empire through the slave-powered mining efforts for silver and lead, beginning with the discovery of 2 deep-vein mining efforts during the 480's. Prior to that development, which at Themistocles urging in 483 BC led to the expansion of the Athenian fleet to 200 ships, only surface-mining was deployed as a technique for harvesting silver. More than 250 ore washeries have been identified by archaeologists and geologists in the district.
Municipality The municipality Lavreotiki was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units: Agios Konstantinos Keratea Lavreotiki
The municipality has an area of 175.798 km2, the municipal unit 35.484 km2.
Settlements
The settlements within the municipal unit of Lavreotiki are (population at 2021 census): Lavrio (7,525) Agios Ioannis Rossos (625) Legrena (345) Kato Poseidonia (337) Agios Gerasimos (290) Thoriko (262) Ano Thoriko (239) Panormos (235) Kato Sounio (164) Agrileza (24)
Historical population Year Lavrio Lavreotiki (mun. unit) Lavreotiki (munic.) 1907 10,007 - - 1981 10,124 - - 1991 8,846 10,293 - 2001 8,558 10,612 - 2011 7,078 9,611 25,102 2021 7,525 10,046 25,199
References
Sources Austin, M M., and P Vidal-Naquet. Economic and Social History of Ancient Greece: an Introduction. 1st English ed. Berkeley: University of California P, 1977. 1-397. Fine, John V. A. The Ancient Greeks: A Critical History. Harvard University Press, 1983 Finley, M.I., The Ancient Economy. 2nd Ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985, c1973 Healy, John F. Mining and Metallurgy in the Greek and Roman World. London: Thames and Hudson, 1978. Hopper, R J. Trade and Industry in Classical Greece. London: Thames and Hudson, 1979. 6-240.
External links Official website Ores from the ore washeries in the Lavriotiki