Elos Έλος
Municipal unit
Elos Location within the regional unit
Coordinates: 36°50′N 22°42′E / 36.833°N 22.700°E / 36.833; 22.700
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Peloponnese
Regional unit	Laconia
Municipality	Evrotas
Area
• Municipal unit	117.6 km2 (45.4 sq mi)
Elevation	15 m (49 ft)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Municipal unit	5,240
• Municipal unit density	45/km2 (120/sq mi)
• Community	643
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	230 55
Area code(s)	27350
Vehicle registration	ΑΚ

Elos (Greek: Έλος, before 1930: Δουραλί - Dourali^[2]) is a village and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Evrotas, of which it is a municipal unit.^[3] The municipal unit has an area of 117.577 km².^[4] It had its own primary school until 2012. The seat of the municipality of Evrota is in Scala. The inhabitants work as farmers producing oranges and olive oil. The municipal unit has a coastline on the Laconian Gulf. The Evrotas River is west of Elos. The name dates back to ancient times. It is located west of Monemvasia, east of Gytheio and southeast of Sparta.

Mythology

Pausanias mentions a seaside city near Sparta called Helos, whose inhabitants were enslaved and became the helots.^[5] Helos was founded by Heleus, the younger son of Perseus.^[5] The city was reduced by siege by the Dorians, and their inhabitants became the first slaves of the Lacedemonian state.^[5]

Historical population