Nafplio in Brief | The Story of a City
Nafplio is a city that carries more history than its size would suggest. Fewer than 15,000 residents, and yet it passed through mythical founders, Mycenaeans, Byzantines, Venetians, Ottomans, and ended up — if only for eleven years — the capital of all of Greece.
The Mythical Founder
According to the tradition recorded by the ancient traveler Pausanias, the city's founder was Nafplios, son of Poseidon and Amymone, one of the daughters of Danaus. The myth holds that Poseidon, wanting to thank Amymone, showed her the springs of Lerna — and from that union came Nafplios, who later built and fortified the city that bears his name. In mythology he also appears as a skilled sailor, his fame reaching all the way to the Trojan War through his son Palamedes (from whom the Palamidi fortress takes its name).
It's myth, not confirmed history — but it's a myth the city keeps alive to this day, precisely because it explains something real: Nafplio was always, by definition, a city of the sea.
From Mycenaeans to Argives
The polygonal walls of Acronafplia show the city's history stretches back to at least the 8th century BC, if not earlier, during the Mycenaean era, when Nafplio functioned as a naval power. Ancient life here wasn't peaceful, though: in the 7th century BC, Nafplio allied with Sparta against neighboring Argos — and the Argives made it pay dearly, destroying the city completely. Surviving residents fled to Methoni in Messinia. For centuries afterward, Nafplio was simply a quiet port of Argos — so quiet that the traveler Pausanias, passing through in the 2nd century AD, found it "deserted."
Byzantines, Venetians, Ottomans
The city re-enters history in the 6th century AD, when a Byzantine garrison successfully repels an Avar raid. A long succession of conquerors follows: Byzantines, Franks, two periods of Venetian rule, and two periods of Ottoman rule in between. In 1540 the city passes to the Turks, who nonetheless grant it privileges — and Nafplio becomes commercially active again until the mid-17th century, when the Venetians return and build today's Palamidi fortress.
Eleven Years as Capital
After the 1821 Revolution and a prolonged siege, Nafplio passes into Greek hands in 1823 and is designated the seat of the revolutionary government. In 1827 it officially becomes the capital, with Ioannis Kapodistrias as first Governor — a term that ends tragically with his assassination in 1831. In 1834 the capital moves to Athens, and Nafplio settles back into a quieter rhythm, becoming what it is today: an elegant provincial city that never quite forgot it was once something more.
Nafplio Today
Walking today through the lanes around Syntagma Square, you see all these layers of history at once: neoclassical buildings next to Venetian ruins, a former mosque that became Greece's first parliament, castles from three different eras watching from above. It's rare for such a small city to carry so many different chapters of history — and even rarer to carry them so naturally, without feeling like a museum.
See Also
Palamidi
Acronafplia
Archaeological Museum
Why Is Nafplio Famous
FAQ
Who founded Nafplio according to mythology?
Nafplios, son of Poseidon and Amymone, according to the tradition recorded by Pausanias.
How old is Nafplio's history?
The walls of Acronafplia point to settlement from at least the 8th century BC, with possible presence as early as the Mycenaean era.
Why is Nafplio also called "Anapli"?
It's the colloquial, spoken evolution of the name Nafplion, which became common in everyday use even though the official name remained the Byzantine "Nafplion."
