The Myrtoan Sea is often unmarked on modern maps. As described by the ancients, it lies between the Cyclades (on the right) and the large peninsula known as the Peloponnesos.
It is said to have been named after the mythical hero Myrtilus, who was thrown into this sea by an enraged Pelops. The name has also been connected with that of the maiden Myrto. It is also said to have derived its name from a small island named Myrtus.
Classical references
Horace makes a reference to Mare Myrtoum in Liber I, Carmen I, line 14 ("Ad Maecenatem").[2]
Pliny the Elder (iv. 11. s. 18) considers the Myrtoan a part of the Aegean.
Strabo distinguishes between the Myrtoan and Aegean; Strabo wrote that the Aegean terminated at the promontory of Sunium in Attica.
