Tsakonia as Seen by Travellers

Tsakonia is a region in Greece, situated within the borders of the modern municipalities of North and South Kynouria. The local population speaks a distinct language, Tsakonian, which is believed to have evolved from Ancient Doric. From the 1st to the 17th century, there was a dearth of knowledge regarding the region. While Byzantine sources make brief mention of Tsakonia and the Tzacones or Tzecones [Τζάκωνες/Τζέκωνες], an elite Byzantine military unit, there are no descriptions of the local landscape, people, or language. In the 17th century, travellers began to visit Tsakonia, recording their observations in writing. These accounts, which range from admiration of the region’s healthy air and robust population to ridicule of the local attire, provide insight into the perceptions of Tsakonia held by these visitors. In the present paper, I will examine various ravel descriptions of Tsakonia, including those by Pausanias (Ancient Greek), Evliya Çelebi (Ottoman), William Martin Leake (English), and Jean-Baptiste Gaspard d’Ansse de Villoison and François-René de Chateaubriand (French). In addition to these primary sources, I will also examine a few minor mentions, including those by Martin Crusius and Bernard Randolph. My aim is to shed light on the perception of Tsakonia, particularly on the concept of ‘Tsakonia’ itself and on the travelers’ observations regarding the region’s geography, the character of its people and language.