The town occupies a piece of land that projects to the azure waters of the Argolic Gulf, but its significance was not always evident to most of its prospective holders. This being Greece, it is expected that a mythological hero would be the first to explore the site's potential. Nauplius, son of the sea god Poseidon, was a famous navigator credited with discovering Ursa Major's constellation (Great Bear). He became the eponymous founder of Nauplia. His son, Palamedes, joined the Greeks in the expedition against Troy but was framed by Odysseus and stoned to death by his compatriots. Furious at his son's foul death, Nauplius caused the victorious Greek fleet to shipwreck on the way back from Troy (thus acquiring the moniker Nauplius the Wrecker).