Las (Greece)

Las (Ancient Greek: Λᾶς and ἡ Λᾶς), or Laas (Λάας), or La (Λᾶ), was an Ancient Greek town in Laconia on the Peloponnese, on the east coast of the Mani Peninsula on the Laconian Gulf. The c. 330 BCE Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax names Las as the only coastal town between Tainaron (Cape Matapan) and Gytheio.

The Periplus describes a port at Las, but according to the 2nd-century CE geographer Pausanias, the town itself was 10 stadia from the sea, and 40 stadia from Gytheio. In the time of Pausanias the town lay in a hollow between three mountains called "Asia", "Ilium", and "Cnacadium"; the old town stood on the summit of Mt. Asia. The name "Las" signified a rock at the original location. Las is named in the Catalogue of Ships in the Iliad. According to local tradition the founder of the town was Las.

In Greek mythology, Las was destroyed by the twins Castor and Pollux, who then called themselves "Lapersae". The name "Lapersa" was in turn given to a mountain in Laconia.