Findings, combined with a discovery, in August 1996, of an important Palaeolithic settlement 3 km NE of Gythion and a recent discovery of obsidian tools at Elaea, show a relatively dense and continuous inhabitation around the Laconia Bay since the Middle Palaeolithic.
Hercules and Apollo supposedly build Gythion. During the Peloponnesian War, it was a Spartan naval base, destroyed by Athenians in 455 BC. Later it was fortified, becoming such a powerful port that, when seized in 195 BC, it possessed the entire necessary infrastructure in order to be used as an important export harbour. In 375 AC Gythion was completely destroyed and was resurface again 1300 years later, in 1685, as a small port.
The little island of Kranae, known as Marathonisi, was in 1770 AC a major centre of the Greek Revolution and the most important city of the free-Lakonian League. After the outbreak of the revolution of 1821 the Gregorakis family, members of the Filiki Eteria, raised the flag of revolution on Marathonisi on March 23rd thus making it the Greek fleet operations centre. In 1830 Gythio rose against I.Kapodistria.
In 1852 the inhabitants stood firmly behind monk Papoulakis movement, mainly because they opposed King Otto's government. In 1934 Gythio revolted against the Bavarians who wanted to demolish the traditional towers of Mani.
