Editing Peloponnese (section)

=== Mythology and early history ===
[[File:Lions-Gate-Mycenae.jpg|thumb|The [[Lion Gate]] in [[Mycenae]]]]
The peninsula has been inhabited since [[Prehistoric Greece|prehistoric times]]. Its modern name derives from ancient [[Greek mythology]], specifically the legend of the hero [[Pelops]], who was said to have conquered the entire region. The name ''Peloponnesos'' means Island or Peninsula (archaic meaning of the word {{transliteration|grc|nesos}}) of Pelops.

The [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean civilization]], mainland Greece's (and Europe's) first major civilization, dominated the Peloponnese in the [[Bronze Age]] from the palaces of [[Mycenae]], [[Palace of Nestor|Pylos]] and [[Tiryns]]; among others. The Mycenaean civilization collapsed suddenly at the end of the 2nd millennium BC. Archeological research has found that many of its cities and palaces show signs of destruction. The subsequent period, known as the [[Greek Dark Ages]], is marked by an absence of written records.