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Afytos

AFYTOS (Village) HALKIDIKI
Pages of University of Macedonia. (Following URL information in Greek only)

Ancient Settlements of Nikiti

NIKITI (Small town) SITHONIA

Ancient Toroni

TORONI (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
Pages of Macedonia University

Greek & Roman Geography (ed. William Smith)

Aphytis

AFYTIS (Ancient city) KASSANDRA
  Aphutis, also Aphute, Aphutos: Eth. Aphutaios, more early Aphutieus, Aphuteus, Aphutesios: A/thyto. A town on the eastern side of the peninsula Pallene, in Macedonia, a little below Potidaea. (Herod. vii. 123: Thuc. i. 64; Strab.) Xenophon (Hell. v. 3. § 19) says that it possessed a temple of Dionysius, to which the Spartan king Agesipolis desired to be removed before his death; but it was more celebrated for its temple of Ammon, whose head appears on its coins. (Plut. Lys. 20; Pans. iii. 18. § 3; Steph. B. s. v.)

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited May 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Athos

AGION OROS (Mountain) HALKIDIKI
Athos (Athon, Ep. Athoos, gen. Athoo: Eth. Athoites), the lofty mountain at the extremity of the long peninsula, running out into the sea from Chalcidice in Macedonia, between the Singitic gulf and the Aegaean. This peninsula was properly called Acte (Akte, Thuc. iv. 109), but the name of Athos was also given to it, as well as to the mountain. (Herod. vii. 22.) The peninsula, as well as the mountain, is now called the Holy Mountain (Hagion Oros, Monte Santo), from the great number of monasteries and chapels with which it is covered. There are 20 of these monasteries, most of which were founded during the Byzantine empire, and some of them trace their origin to the time of Constantine the Great. Each of the different nations belonging to the Greek Church, has one or more monasteries of its own; and the spot is visited periodically by pilgrims from Russia, Servia, Bulgaria, as well as from Greece and Asia Minor. No female, even of the animal kind, is permitted to enter the peninsula.
  According to Pliny (iv. 10. s. 17. § 37, Sillig), the length of the peninsula is 75 (Roman) miles, and the circumference 150 (Roman) miles. Its real length is 40 English miles, and its average breadth about four miles. The general aspect of the peninsula is described in the following terms by a modern traveller:--The peninsula is rugged, being intersected by innumerable ravines. The ground rises almost immediately and rather abruptly from the isthmus at the northern end to about 300 feet, and for the first twelve miles maintains a table-land elevation of about 600 feet, for the most part beautifully wooded. At this spot the peninsula is narrowed into rather less than two miles in breadth. It immediately afterwards expands to its average breadth of about four miles, which it retains to its southern extremity. From this point, also, the land becomes mountainous rather than hilly, two of the heights reaching respectively 1700 and 1200 feet above the sea. Four miles farther south, on the eastern slope of the mountain ridge, and at a nearly equal distance from the east and west shores, is situated the town of Karyes picturesquely placed amidst vineyards and gardens. Immediately to the southward of Karyes the ground rises to 2200 feet, whence a rugged broken country, covered with a forest of dark-leaved foliage, extends to the foot of the mountain, which rears itself in solitary magnificence, an insulated cone of white limestone, rising abruptly to the height of 6350 feet above the sea. Close to the cliffs at the southern extremity, we learn from Captain Copeland's late survey, no bottom was found with 60 fathoms of line. (Lieut. Webber Smith, in Journal of Royal Geogr. Soc. vol. vii. p. 65.) The lower bed of the mountain is composed of gneiss and argillaceous slate, and the upper part of grey limestone, more or less inclined to white. (Sibthorp, in Walpole's Travels &c. p. 40.)
  Athos is first mentioned by Homer, who represents Hera as resting on its summit on her flight from Olympus to Lemnos. (Il. xiv. 229.) The name, however, is chiefly memorable in history on account of the canal which Xerxes cut through the isthmus,, connecting the peninsula with Chalcidice. (Herod. vii. 23, seq.) This canal was cut by Xerxes for the passage of his fleet, in order to escape the gales and high seas, which sweep around the promontory, and which had wrecked the fleet of Mardonius in B.C. 492. The cutting of this canal has been rejected as a falsehood by many writers, both ancient and modern; and Juvenal (x. 174) speaks of it as a specimen of Greek mendacity: creditor olim Velificatus Athos, et quidquid Graecia mendax Audet in historia.
Its existence, however, is not only attested by Herodotus, Thucydides, and other ancient writers, but distinct traces of it have been discovered by modern travellers. The modern name of the isthmus is Provlaka, evidently the Romaic form of Proaulax, the canal in front of the peninsula of Athos. The best description of the present condition of the canal is given by Lieut. Wolfe :--The canal of Xerxes is still most distinctly to be traced all the way across the isthmus from the Gulf of Monte Santo (the ancient Singitic Gulf) to the Bay of Erso in the Gulf of Contessa, with the exception of about 200 yards in the middle, where the ground bears no appearance of having ever been touched. But as there is no doubt of the whole canal having been excavated by Xerxes, it is probable that the central part was afterwards filled up, in order to allow a more ready passage into and out of the peninsula. In many places the canal is still deep, swampy at the bottom, and filled with rushes and other aquatic plants: the rain and small springs draining down into it from the adjacent heights afford, at the Monte Santo end, a good watering-place for shipping; the water (except in very dry weather) runs out in a good stream. The distance across is 2500 yards, which agrees very well with the breadth of twelve stadia assigned by Herodotus. The width of the canal appears to have been about 18 or 20 feet; the level of the earth nowhere exceeds 15 feet above the sea; the soil is a light clay. It is on the whole a very remarkable isthmus, for the land on each side (but more especially to the westward) rises abruptly to an elevation of 800 to 1000 feet. (Penny Cyclopaedia, vol. iii. p. 23.)
  About 1 1/2 mile north of the canal was Acanthus, and on the isthmus, immediately south of the canal, was Sane, probably the same as the later Uranopolis. In the peninsula itself there were five cities, Dium, Olophyxus, Acrotihoum, Thyssus, Cleonae, which are described under their respective names. To these five cities, which are mentioned by Herodotus, Thucydides and Strabo (vii. p. 331), Scylax (s. v. Makedonia) adds Charadriae, and Pliny Palaeorium and Apollonia, the inhabitants of the latter being named Macrobii. The extremity of the peninsula, above which Mt. Athos rises abruptly, was called Nymphaeum (Numphaion), now Cape St. George (Strab. vii. p. 330; Ptol. iii. 13. § 11.) The peninsula was originally inhabited by Tyrrheno-Pelasgians, who continued to form a large part of the population in the Greek cities of the peninsula even in the time of the Peloponnesian war (Thuc. l. c.). (Respecting the peninsula in general see Leake, Northern Greece, vol. iii. p. 114; Bowen, Mount Athos, Thessaly, and Epirus, London, 1852, p. 51, seq.; Lieuts. Smith and Wolfe, Sibthorp, ll. cc.)

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Acanthus

AKANTHOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
Akanthos: Eth. Akanthios: Erissο. Α town on the E. side of the isthmus, which connects the peninsula of Acte with Chalcidice, and about 1 1/2 mile above the canal of Xerxes. (Athos) It was founded by a colony from Andros, and became a place of considerable importance. Xerxes stopped here on his march into Greece (B.C. 480) and praised the inhabitants for the zeal which they displayed in his service. Acanthus surrendered to Brasidas B.C. 424, and its independence was shortly afterwards guaranteed in the treaty of peace made between Athens and Sparta. The Acanthians maintained their independence against the Olynthians, but eventually became subject to the kings of Macedonia. In the war between the Romans and Philip (B.C. 200) Acanthus was taken and plundered by the fleet of the republic. Strabo and Ptolemy erroneously place Acanthus on the Singitic gulf, but there can be no doubt that the town was on the Strymonic gulf, as is stated by Herodotus and other authorities: the error may have perhaps arisen from the territory of Acanthus having stretched as far as the Singitic gulf. At Erisso, the site of Acanthus, there are the ruins of a large ancient mole, advancing in a curve into the sea, and also, on the N. side of the hill upon which the village stands, some remains of an ancient wall, constructed of square blocks of grey granite. On the coin of Acanthus figured below is a lion killing a bull, which confirms the account of Herodotus (vii. 125), that on the march of Xerxes from Acanthus to Therme, lions seized the camels which carried the provisions.

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited May 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Antigoneia

ANTIGONIA (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
Antigonea, Eth. Antigoneus, Antigonensis. A town of Macedonia in the district Crusis in Chalcidice, placed by Livy between Aeneia and Pallene. (Liv. xliv. 10.) It is called by Ptolemy (iii. 13. § 38) Psaphara (Psaphara) probably in order to distinguish it from Antigoneia in Paeonia.

Apollonia

APOLLONIA (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  (Eth. Apolloniates, Apolloniates, Apollinas,--atis, Apolloniensis.Polighero). The chief town of Chalcidice in Macedonia, situated N. of Olynthus, and a little S. of the Chalcidian mountains. That this Apollonia is a different place from No. 5, appears from Xenophon, who describes the Chalcidian Apollonia as distant 10 or 12 miles from Olynthus. (Xen. Hell. v. 12 § 1, seq.) It was probably this Apollonia Which struck the beautiful Chalcidian coins, bearing on the obverse the head of Apollo, and on the reverse his lyre, with the legend Chalkideon.

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Assa

ASSA (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  Eth. Assaios. A town of Chalcidice, in Macedonia, on the Singitic gulf. (Herod. vii. 122.) It is probably the same town as the Assera of Theopompus (Steph. B. s. v. Assera), and the Cassera of Pliny (iv. 10), its territory being called Assyrytis (Assurutis) by Aristotle (Hist. An. iii. 12). Here was a river which was called the Psuchros from its coldness. (Aristot. l. c.) Leake places Assa at the head of the Singitic gulf, at some ruins called Paleokastro, about midway, by land, between Erisso and Vurvuri.

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited May 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Galepsus

GALIPSOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
Galephos (Herod. vii. 122). A town on the N. coast of the peninsula of Sithonia, which Colonel Leake takes to have been the same place afterwards called Physcella (Plin. iv. 10; Pomp. Mela, ii. 3. § 1), a distinction which was required, as there was another Galepsus at no great distance.

Gigonis

GIGONOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  Gigonis akra (Etym. Mag. s. v. Egonis, Ptol. iii. 13. § 23). A promontory on the coast of the Crossaea, in Macedonia, with a town Gigonus (Gigonos, Steph. B.), to which the Athenian force, which had been employed against Perdiccas, marched in three days from Beraea. (Thuc. i. 61.) It appears, from the order of the names in Herodotus (vii. 123), that it was to the S. of Cape Aeneium, the great Karaburnu; hence its situation was nearly that of Cape Apanomi.

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Chalcidice

HALKIDIKI (Ancient area) GREECE
  Chalcidice (he Chalkidike, Ptol. iii. 13. § 11; Eth. and Adj. Chalkideus), the name applied to the whole of the great peninsula, lying southward of the ridge of Mt. Cissus (Khortiatzi), between the Thermaic and Strymonic Gulf. It terminates in three prongs, running out into the Aegaean Sea, called respectively Acte, Sithonia, and Pallene, the first being the most easterly, and the latter the most westerly. The peninsula of Acte, which terminates with Mt. Athos, rising out of the sea precipitously to the height of nearly 6,400 feet, is rugged and clothed with forests, which leave only a few spots suitable for cultivation. The Middle or Sithonian peninsula (Sithonia: Longos), is also hilly and woody, though in a less degree. The peninsula of Pallene (Pallene: Kassandhra), was pre-eminent for its rich and highly cultivated territory. The gulf between Acte and Sithonia was called the Singitic, and that between Sithonia and Pallene the Toronaic or Mecybernaean.
  It must be recollected that the original Chalcidice, though the name has been extended in consequence of the influence which the people of their Chalcidic race enjoyed during the meridian period of Grecian history, did not comprehend Crossaea, nor the districts of Acanthus and Stageirus, colonies of Andrus, nor that of Potidaea, a colony of Corinth, nor even Olynthus or the territory around it to the N., which was occupied by a people who had been driven out of Bottiaeis W. of the Lydias in the early times of the Macedonian monarchy.
  The principal possession of the Chalcidian settlers from Euboea (Strab. x. p. 447) in the earliest time of their migration, probably in the 7th century B.C., seems to have been the Sithonian headland, with its port and fortress Torone; from thence they extended their power inland, until at length they occupied the whole of Mygdonia to the S. of the ridges which stretched W. from the mountain range at the head of the Singitic gulf (Nizvoro) together with Crossaea. Artabazus, on his return from the Hellespont, having reduced Olynthus, together with some other places which had revolted from Xerxes, slew all the Bottiaei who had garrisoned Olynthus, and gave up the place to the Chalcidians. We find the Bottiaei joined, on two occasions, with the Chalcidians as allies (Thuc. i. 65, ii. 79), and one of their silver coins with the legend Bottiaion is precisely similar, both in type and fabric, to those of the Chalcidians, impressed with the head of Apollo and his lyre (comp. Eckhel, vol. ii. p. 70). At the instigation of Perdiccas, the Chalcidians made war upon the Athenians who held Potidaea and other towns in their neighbourhood, and were successful in more than one engagement (Thuc. ii. 79). Brasidas was indebted to their cooperation for his first successes (Thuc. iv. 83), and it was to his expedition into Thrace that the Chalcidian republics owed their final independence. (Thuc. v. 18.) After the Peloponnesian war, in consequence of the complaints of the Apollonians of Chalcidice and Acanthians, the Lacedaemonians sent an army against Olynthus, which, after losing two of its commanders, succeeded in the 4th campaign (B.C. 379) in reducing the city to submission (Xen. Hell. v. 8). The history of Chalcidice, after the supremacy which Olynthus obtained over its other towns, follows the fortunes of that city.
  Ptolemy divides the whole peninsula into two parts, Chalcidice and Paralia (for so the word which appears as Paraxia in the printed copies should be read). Paralia contained all the maritime country between the bay of Thessalonica, and Derrhis, the Cape of Sithonia: thus the W. coast of Sithonia was at that time included in Paralia and the E. in Chalcidice, together with Acanthus, the entire peninsula of Acte, and all the coast land in the Strymonic gulf as far N. as Bromiscus, with the exception of Stageira.
  An account of the different Chalcidian towns will be found under the separate heads; beginning from the W. they are Aeneia near the cape, which marks the entrance of the inner Thermaic gulf, Gigonus, Antigoneia and Potidaea. Between these towns lay the territory called Crossaea. In Pallene were the towns of Saxe, Mende, Scione, Therambos, Aege, Neapolis, Aphytis, either wholly or partly colonies from Eretria. In Sithonia were Mecyberna, Sermyle, Galepsus, Torone, Sarte, Singus, Pilorus, Assa, all or most of them of Chalcidian origin. At the head of the Toronaic gulf in the interior of Chalcidice lay Olynthus, Apollonia, Scolus, Spartolus, Angeia, Miacorus or Milcorus. On the scanty spaces, admitted by the mountain ridge which ends in Athos, were planted some Thracian and Pelasgic settlements of the same inhabitants as those who occupied Lemnos and Imbros, with a mixture of a few Chalcidians, while the inhabitants spoke both Pelasgic and Hellenic. Near the narrow isthmus which joins this promontory to Thrace, and along the NW. coast of the Strymonic gulf were the considerable towns of Sane, Acanthus, Stageira and Argilus, all colonies from Andros, to which may be added Stratonice, Bromiscus, and Arethusa (Grote, Hist. of Greece, vol. iv. p. 31 ; Leake, Trav. in Northern Greece, vol. iii.; Griesebach, Reisen, vol. ii. pp. 6-16.)

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited August 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Caprus

KAFKANAS (Small island) HALKIDIKI
  Caprus (Kapros: Lybtzadha), the port and island of Stageirus to the SW. of the Strymonic Gulf. (Strab. vii. p. 331; comp. Leake, Northern Greece, vol. iii. p. 166.)

Lecythus

LIKYTHOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
Lekuthos. A town in the peninsula of Sithonia in Chalcidice, not far from Torone, with a temple to Athena. The town was attacked by Brasidas, who took it by storm, and consecrated the entire cape to the goddess. Everything was demolished except the temple and the buildings connected with it.

Lipaxus

LIPAXOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
A town of Crusis, or Crossaea, in Macedonia, mentioned only by Hecataeus (Steph. B. s. v.) and Herodotus (vii. 123).

Lisae

LISAE (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
A town of Crusis or Crossaea, in Macedonia, mentioned only by Herodotus (vii. 123).

Mende

MENDI (Ancient city) KASSANDRA
  or Mendae (Mendai, Menda, Mendis, Eth. Mendaios). A town of Pallene, situated on the SW. side the cape. It was a colony of Eretria in Euboea, which became subject to Athens with the other cities of Pallene and Chalcidice. On the arrival of Brasidas, Mende revolted from the Athenians (Thuc. iv. 123), but was afterwards retaken by Nicias and Nicostratus (Thuc. iv. 130; Diod. xii. 72). It appears, from the account which Livy gives of the expedition of Attalus and the Romans (B.C. 200), to have been a small maritime place under the dominion of Cassandria. Together with Scione, Mende occupied the broadest part of the peninsula (Pomp. Mela, ii. 3. § 11), and is probably represented by some Hellenic remains which have been observed on the shore near Kavo-Posidhi, to the E., as well as on the heights above it. The types on its autonomous coins - Silenus riding upon an ass, and a Diota in a square - refer to the famous Mendaean wine, of which the ancients make honourable mention. (Athen. i. pp. 23, 29, iv. p. 129, viii. p. 364, xi. p. 784; Hippocrat. vol. ii. p. 472, ed. Kuhn; Jul. Poll. Onomast. vi. segm. 15.)

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Mecyberna

MIKYVERNA (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  Mekuberna: Eth. Mekubernaios. A town which stood at the head of the Toronaic gulf, which was also called Sinus Mecybernaeus. (Plin. iv. 10; Pomp. Mela, ii. 3. § 1.) Mecyberna was the port of Olynthus (Strab. vii. p. 330), and lay between that town and Sermyle. (Herod.vii. 122.) It was taken from the Athenians by the Chalcidic Thracians (Thuc. v. 39), and surrendered to Philip before the siege of Olynthus. (Diod. xvi. 54.) The site must be sought at Molivopyrgo, where some remains of antiquity are said to be preserved. (Leake, North. Greece, vol. iii. p. 155.)

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Neapolis

NEAPOLIS (Ancient city) KASSANDRA
A town on the isthmus of Pallene, on the E. coast, between Aphytis and Aege. (Herod. vii. 123.) In Leake's map it is represented by the modern Polykhrono.

Olynthus

OLYNTHOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  Olunthos, Eth. Olunthios. A town which stood at the head of the Toronaic gulf, between the peninsulas of Pallene and Sithonia, and was surrounded by a fertile plain. Originally a Bottiaean town, at the time of the Persian invasion it had passed into the hands of the Chalcidic Greeks (Herod. vii. 122; Strab. x. p. 447), to whom, under Critobulus of Torone, it was handed over, by the Persian Artabazus, after taking the town, and slaying all the inhabitants (Herod. viii. 127). Afterwards Perdiccas prevailed on many of the Chalcidian settlers to abandon the small towns on the sea-coast, and make Olynthus, which was several stadia from the sea, their central position (Thuc. i. 58). After this period the Bottiaei seem to have been the humble dependents of the Chalcidians, with whom they are found joined on two occasions (Thuc. i. 65, ii. 79). The expedition of Brasidas secured the independence of the Olynthians, which was distinctly recognised by treaty (Thuc. v. 19.) The town, from its maritime situation, became a place of great importance, B.C. 392. Owing to the weakness of Amyntas, the Macedonian king, they were enabled to take into their alliance the smaller towns of maritime Macedonia, and gradually advanced so far as to include the larger cities in this region, including even Pella. The military force of the Olynthian confederacy had now become so powerful from the just and generous principles upon which it was framed, including full liberty of inter-marriage, of commercial dealings, and landed proprietorship, that Acanthus and Apollonia, jealous of Olynthian supremacy, and menaced in their independence, applied to Sparta, then in the height of its power, B.C. 383, to solicit intervention. The Spartan Eudamidas was at once sent against Olynthus, with such force as could be got ready, to check the new power. Teleutias, the brother of Agesilaus, was after-wards sent there with a force of 10,000 men, which the Spartan assembly had previously voted, and was joined by Derdas, prince of Elimeia, with 400 Macedonian horse. But the conquest of Olynthus was no easy enterprise its cavalry was excellent, and enabled them to keep the Spartan infantry at bay. Teleutias, at first successful, becoming over confident, sustained a terrible defeat under the walls of the city. But the Spartans, not disheartened, thought only of repairing their dishonour by fresh exertions. Agesipolis, their king, was placed in command, and ordered to prosecute the war with vigour; the young prince died of a fever, and was succeeded by Polybiades as general, who put an end to the war, B.C. 379. The Olynthians were reduced to such straits, that they were obliged to sue for peace, and, breaking up their own federation, enrolled themselves as sworn members of the Lacedaemonian confederacy under obligations of fealty to Sparta (Xen. Hell. v. 2. 12, 3. § 18; Diodor. xv. 21 - 23; Dem. de Fals. Leg. c. 75. p. 425). The subjugation of Olynthus was disastrous to Greece, by removing the strongest bulwark against Macedonian aggrandisement. Sparta was the first to crush the bright promise of the confederacy; but it was reserved for Athens to deal it the most deadly blow, by the seizure of Pydna, Methone, and Potidaea, with the region about the Thermaic gulf, between B.C. 368 - 363, at the expense of Olynthus. The Olynthians, though humbled, were not subdued; alarmed at Philip's conquest of Amphipolis, B.C. 358, they sent to negotiate with Athens, where, through the intrigues of the Macedonians, they were repulsed. Irritated at their advances being rejected, they closed with Philip, and received at his hands the district of Anthemus, as well as the important Athenian possession of Potidaea. (Dem. Philipp. ii. p. 71. s. 22). Philip was too near and dangerous a neighbour; and, by a change of policy, Olynthus concluded a peace with Athens B.C. 352. After some time, during which there was a feeling of reciprocal mistrust between the Olynthians and Philip, war broke out in the middle of B.C. 350. Overtures for an alliance had been previously made by Athens, with which the Olynthians felt it prudent to close. On the first recognition of Olynthus as an ally, Demosthenes delivered the earliest of his memorable harangues; two other Olynthiac speeches followed. For a period of 80 years Olynthus had been the enemy of Athens, but the eloquence and statesman-like sagacity of Demosthenes induced the people to send succours to their ancient foes: and yet lie was not able to persuade them to assist Olynthus with sufficient vigour. Still the fate of the city was delayed; and the Olynthians, had they been on their guard against treachery within, might perhaps have saved themselves.. The detail of the capture is unknown, but the struggling. city fell, in. B.C. 347, into the hands of Philip, callidus emptor Olynthi (Juv. xiv. 47), through the treachery of Lasthenes and Euthycrates; its doom was that of one taken by storm (Dem. Philipp. iii. pp. 125 - 128, Fals. Leg. p. 426; Diod. xvi..53). All that survived--men, women, and. children--were sold as slaves; the town itself was destroyed. The fall of Olynthus completed the conquest of the Greek cities. from the Thessalian frontier as far as Thrace--in all 30 Chalcidic cities. Demosthenes (Philipp. iii. p. 117; comp. Strab. ii. p. 121; Justin. viii. 3), speaking of them about five years afterwards, says that they were so thoroughly destroyed, that it might be supposed that they had never been inhabited. The site of Olynthus at Aio Mamas is, however, known by its distance of 60 stadia front Potidaea, as well as by some vestiges of the city still existing, and by its lagoon, in which Artabazus slew the inhabitants. The name of this marsh was Bolyca (he Boluke limne, Hegisander, ap. Athen. p. 334). Two rivers, the Amitas and Olynthiacus (Olunthiakos), flowed into this lagoon from Apollonia (Athen. l. c.). Mecyberna was its harbour; and there was a spot near it, called Cantharolethron (Kantharolethron, Strab. vii. p. 330; Plut. de An. Tranq. 475. 45; Arist. Mirab. Ausc. 120; Plin. xi. 34), so called because black beetles could not live there. Eckhel (vol. ii. p. 73) speaks of only one extant coin of Olynthus--the type a head of Heracles, with the lion's skin; but Mr. Millingen has engraved one of those beautiful Chalcidian coins on which the legend OLUNTh surrounds the head of Apollo on the one side, and the word CHALCHIDEON, his lyre, on the reverse.

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Uranopolis

OURANOUPOLIS (Ancient city) AGION OROS
Ouranopolis. A town in the peninsula Acte of Chalcidice in Macedonia, of which we know nothing, except that it was founded by Alexarchus, the brother of Cassander, king of Macedonia (Athen. iii. p. 98; Plin. iv. 10. s. 17). As Pliny does not mention Sane in his list of the towns of Acte, it has been conjectured by Leake that Uranopolis occupied the site of Sane.

Pilorus

PILOROS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
Piloros, (Herod. vii. 122; Steph. B.). Atown of Sithonia in Macedonia, upon the Singitic gulf, between Sane and Cape Ampelus, which probably occupied Vurvuri, or one of the harbours adjacent to it on the N.

Cassandreia

POTIDEA (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  Kassandreia, Kasandreia: Eth. Kassandreus: Pinaka. A town situated on the narrow isthmus which connects the peninsula of Pallene with the main land, on which formerly stood the rich and flourishing city of Potidaea. (Strab. vii. p. 330; Plin. iv. 10.)
  Potidaia: Eth. Potidaiates, Potidaieus. A Dorian city originally colonised from Corinth (Thuc. i. 56; Scymn. Ch. v. 628), though at what period is not known; it must have existed before the Persian wars. It surrendered to the Persians on their march into Greece. (Herod. vii. 123.) After the battle of Salamis it closed its gates against Artabazus, who at the head of a large detachment had escorted Xerxes to the Hellespont. On his return this general laid siege to the place of which he would probably have obtained possession through the treachery of one of its citizens, had not the plot been accidentally discovered. An attempt afterwards made against it by the Persians was unsuccessful, from a sudden influx of the sea, while the troops were crossing the bay to attack the town; a great part of the Persian force was destroyed, the remainder made a hasty retreat. (Herod. viii. 127.) There was a contingent of 300 men sent by Potidaea to the united Greek forces at Plataea. (Herod. ix. 28.) Afterwards Potidaea became one of the tributary allies of Athens, but still maintained a certain metropolitan allegiance to Corinth. Certain magistrates under the title of Epidemiurgi were sent there every year from Corinth. (Thuc. i. 56.) In B.C. 432 Potidaea revolted from Athens, and allied itself with Perdiccas and the Corinthians. After a severe action, in which the Athenians were finally victorious, the town was regularly blockaded; it did not capitulate till the end of the second year of the war, after going through such extreme suffering from famine that even some who died were eaten by the survivors. (Thuc. ii. 70.) A body of 1,000 colonists were sent from Athens to occupy Potidaea and the vacant territory. (Diod. xii. 46.) On the occupation of Amphipolis and other Thracian towns by Brasidas, that general attempted to seize upon the garrison of Potidaea, but the attack failed. (Thuc. iv. 135.) In 382, Potidaea was in the occupation of the Olynthians. (Xen. Hell. vii. § 16.) In 364, it was taken by Timotheus the Athenian general. (Diod. xv. 81; comp. Isocr. de Antid. p. 119.) Philip of Macedon seized upon it and gave it up to the Olynthians. (Diod. xvi. 8.) The Greek population was extirpated or sold by him. Cassander founded a new city on the site of Potidaea, and assembled on this spot not only many strangers but also Greeks of the neighbourhood, especially the Olynthians, who were still surviving the destruction of their city. He called it after his own name Cassandreia. (Diod. xix. 52; Liv.xliv. 11.) Cassandreia is the natural port of the fertile peninsula of Pallene (Kassandhra), and soon became great and powerful, surpassing all the Macedonian cities in opulence and splendour. (Diod. l. c.) Arsinoe, widow of Lysimachus, retired to this place with her two sons. (Polyaen. viii. 57.) Ptolemy Ceraunus, her half-brother, succeeded by treachery in wresting the place from her. Like Alexandreia and Antioch, it enjoyed Greek municipal institutions, and was a republic under the Macedonian dominion, though Cassander's will was its law as long as he lived. (Niebuhr, Lectures on Ancient History, vol. iii. pp. 231, 253.) About B.C. 279 it came under the dominion of Apollodorus, one of the most detestable tyrants that ever lived. (Diod. Exc. p. 563.) Philip, the son of Demetrius, made use of Cassandreia as his principal naval arsenal, and at one time caused 100 galleys to be constructed in the docks of that port. (Liv. xxviii. 8.)
  In the war with Perseus his son (B.C. 169), the Roman fleet in conjunction with Eumenes, king of Pergamus, undertook the siege of Cassandreia, but they were compelled to retire (Liv. xliv. 11, 12.) Under Augustus a Roman colony settled at Cassandreia. (Marquardt, in Becker's Handbuch der Rom. Alt. vol. iii. pt. i. p. 118; Eckhel, D. N. vol. ii. p. 70.) This city at length fell before the barbarian Huns, who left hardly any traces of it. (Procop. B.P. ii. 4, de Aedif. iv. 3; comp. Leake, Northern Greece, vol. iii. p. 152.)
  For coins of Cassandreia, both autonomous and imperial, see Eckhel. The type constantly found is the head of Ammon, in whose worship they seem to have joined with the neighbouring people of Aphytis.

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Sane

SANI (Ancient city) KASSANDRA
  Eth. Sanios, Senaios, Sanaios. A colony of Andros, situated upon the low, undulating ground, forming the isthmus which connects the peninsula of Acte with Chalcidice, through which the canal of Xerxes passed. Masses of stone and mortar, with here and there a large and squared block, and foundations of Hellenic walls, which are found upon this Provlaka or neck of land, mark the site of ancient Sane, which was within Acte and turned towards the sea of Euboea.

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Sermyle

SERMYLI (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
Eth. Sermulioi. A town of Chalcidice, between Galepsus and Mecyberna, which gave its name to the Toronaic gulf, which was also called Sermilicus Sinus (kolpos Sermulikos, Scyl.). The modern Ormylia, between Molyvo and Derna, is identified from its name, which differs little from the ancient form, with the site of Sermyle.

Singus

SINGOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
Eth. Singaioi. A town of Sithonia in Macedonia, upon the gulf to which it gave its name, Singiticus Sinus (Singitikos kolpos, Ptol. l. c.: Gulf of Aghion Oros), identified with Sykia, probably a corrupted form of the old name.

Sithonia

SITHONIA (Ancient area) HALKIDIKI
Sithonia (Sithonie, Herod. vii. 123; Steph. B.; Virg. Bucol. x. 66; Hor. Carm. i. 18. 9: Longos), the central of the three prongs which run out into the Aegean from the great peninsula of Chalcidice, forming a prolongation to the peak called Solomon or Kholomon. The Sithonian peninsula, which, though not so hilly as that of Acte, is not so inviting as Pallene, was the first, it appears, to be occupied by the Chalcidic colonists.

Scione

SKIONI (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  Skione, Eth. Skionaios, Skioneus. The chief town on the isthmus of Pallene in Macedonia. Although it called itself Achaean, like many other colonial towns, in default of any acknowledged mother-city, it traced its origin to warriors returning from Troy. Under concert with Brasidas the Scionaeans proclaimed their revolt from Athens, two days after the truce was sworn, March, B.C. 421. Brasidas, by a speech which appealed to Grecian feeling, wound up the citizens to the highest pitch of enthusiasm. The Athenians, furious at the refusal of the Lacedaemonians to give up this prize, which they had gained after the truce, passed a resolution, under the instigation of Cleon to kill all the grown-up male inhabitants of the place, and strictly besieged the town, which Brasidas was unable to relieve, though he had previously conveyed away the women and children to a place of safety. After a long blockade Scione surrendered to the Athenians, who put all the men of military age to death, and sold the women and children to slavery. The site of this ill-fated city must be sought for between the capes Paliuri and Posidhi.

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Spartolus

SPARTOLOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
A town of the Chalcidic peninsula, at no great distance from Olynthus, under the walls of which the Athenian forces were routed, B.C. 249. It belonged to the Bottiaeans, and was perhaps their capital, and was of sufficient importance to be mentioned in the treaty between Sparta and Athens in the tenth year of the Peloponnesian War.

Stageira

STAGIRA (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  Stageiros, Stageira, al. Stanteira. A town of Chalcidice in Macedonia, and a colony of Andros. The army of Xerxes, after passing through the plain of Syleus, passed through Stageirus to arrive at Acanthus. In the eighth year of the Peloponnesian War it surrendered to Brasidas, and two years afterwards was included in the treaty between Sparta and Athens. It was the birthplace of Aristotle. Alexander, from regard to his great teacher, restored this town, which with other Grecian colonies in that quarter had fallen into decay, when W. Thrace had become part of the Macedonian kingdom. (Plut. Alex. 7; Diog. Laert. v. § 4; Theophr. H. P. 102; Aelian, V. H. iii. 17.) But the improvement was not permanent, and no memorial of the birthplace of Aristotle remains, unless the coins inscribed Orthagoreon are of this place, as Eckhel (vol. ii. p. 73) supposed, on the authority of a fragment in the Geographi Minores (vol. iv. p. 42, ed. Hudson). Leake (Northern Greece, vol. iii. p. 168) has fixed the site at Stavros, which he considers to be a contraction of the old name: it is almost presumption to differ with so great an authority in comparative geography; but it may be observed that the name Stavros or Cross is common enough in Greece, and Mr. Bowen (Mount Athos, &c. p. 120, London, 1852) has shown, from a comparison with the passage in Herodotus, that the traditional belief of the Macedonian peasants in identifying Isboros or Nizoro, as it is called by them, with Stageirus, rests upon satisfactory grounds. The position of this village, on the S. face of a wooded mountain which commands a view of Mt. Athos and the Aegean, is very much that of an Hellenic city, and there are vast substructions of Hellenic masonry all around. The Epitomiser of Strabo (vii. p. 331), who lived not long before the eleventh century, has a port and island called Caprus (Kapros) near Stageirus, which is probably the island of Leftheridha near C. Marmari; Leake prefers, in accordance with his views that Stavros represents Stageirus, the port and island of Lybtzadha.

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Stratonice

STRATONIKIA (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
Stratonike (Ptol. iii. 13. § 11). A town of Chalcidice in Macedonia, which Ptolemy places on the Singitic gulf. Leake (Northern Greece, vol. iii. p. 160) considers that there is here the same mistake as in the case of Acanthus, and refers it to theHellenic remains on the coastof the Strymonic gulf in the confined valley of Stratoni.

Therambos

THERAMVO (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  Thrambus (Therambos, Thrambos, Thrambeis, Thrambousia deiras). A town of the peninsula Pallene, in Chalcidice in Macedonia, is called a promontory by Stephanus B., and is hence supposed by Leake (Northern Greece, vol. iii. p. 156) to have occupied a position very near the promontory Canastraeum, the most southerly point of Pallene; but from the order of the names in Scylax we would rather place it at the promontory upon the western side of the peninsula, called Posidium by Thucydides (iv. 129).

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Torone

TORONI (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  Eth. Toronaios. A town of Chalcidice in Macedonia, situated upon the SW. coast of the peninsula of Sithonia. It was said to have derived its name from Torone, a daughter of Proeteus or Poseidon and Phoenice. (Steph. B. s. v. Torone.) It was a Greek colony, founded by the Chalcidians of Euboea, and appears to have been originally the chief settlement of the Chalcidians in these parts. Hence the gulf lying between the peninsulas of Sithonia and Torone was generally called the Toronaean, now the Gulf of Kassaindhra. (Toronaikos kolpos, Steph. B. s. v. Torone; Ptol. iii. 13. § 13; Toronikos kolpos, Strab. vii. p. 330; Scyimn. Ch. 640; Toronaicum mare, Liv. xliv. 11; Toronaeus sinus, Tac. Ann. v. 10.) Like the other Greek cities in these parts, Torone furnished ships and men to the army of Xerxes in his invasion of Greece. (Herod. vii. 122.) After the Persian War Torone came under the dominion of Athens. In B.C. 424 a party in the town opened the gates to Brasidas, but it was retaken by Cleon two years afterwards. (Thuc. iv. 110, seq., v. 2.) At a later time it seems to have been subject to Olynthus, since it was recovered by the Athenian general Timotheus. (Diodor. xv. 81.) It was annexed by Philip, along with the other Chalcidian cities, to the Macedonian empire. (Diodor. xvi. 53.) In the war against Perseus, B.C. 169, it was attacked by a Roman fleet, but without success. (Liv. xliv. 12.) Theophrastus related that the Egyptian bean grew in a marsh near Torone (ap. Athen. iii. p. 72, d.); and Archestratus mentions a particular kind of fish, for which Torone was celebrated (ap. Athen. vii. p. 310, c.). The harbour of Torone was called Cophos (Kophos), or deaf, because being separated from the sea by two narrow passages, the noise of the waves was never heard there: hence the proverb kophoteros tou Toronaiou limenos. (Strab. vii. p. 330; Mela, ii. 3; Zenob. Prov. Graec. cent. iv. pr. 68.) This port is apparently the same as the one called by Thucydides (v. 2) the harbour of the Colophonians, which he describes as only a little way from the city of the Toronaeans. Leake conjectures that we ought perhaps to read Kophon instead of Kolophonion. It is still called Kufo, and Torone likewise retains its ancient name. (Leake, Northern Greece, vol. iii. pp. 119, 155, 455.)

This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities

Aphytis

AFYTIS (Ancient city) KASSANDRA
A town in Macedonia containing a celebrated temple and oratory of Zeus Ammon.

Athos

AGION OROS (Mountain) HALKIDIKI
   The mountainous peninsula also called Acte, which projects from Chalcidice in Macedonia. At its extremity it rises to the height of 6349 feet; the voyage round it was so dreaded by mariners that Xerxes had a canal cut through the isthmus which connects the peninsula with the mainland to afford a passage to his fleet. The isthmus is about 1 1/2 mile across, and there are distinct traces of the canal to be seen at the present day. The peninsula contained several flourishing cities in antiquity, and is now studded with numerous monasteries, cloisters, and chapels. In these monasteries some valuable MSS. of ancient authors have been discovered.

This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Galepsus

GALIPSOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
A town in Macedonia, on the Toronaic Gulf.

Gigonus

GIGONOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
(Gigonos). A town and promontory of Macedonia on the Thermaic Gulf.

Chalcidice

HALKIDIKI (Ancient area) GREECE
A district of Macedonia, between the Sinus Thermaicus and Strymonicus. The lower part of it formed three peninsulas--Phlegra or Pallene, Sithonia, and Athos. The small town of Chalcis gave name to this district.

Mendae, Mende

MENDI (Ancient city) KASSANDRA
Mendae. A town on the west coast of the Macedonian peninsula Pallene and on the Thermaic Gulf, a colony of the Eretrians, and celebrated for its wine

Mecyberna

MIKYVERNA (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
(Mekuberna). A town of Macedonia in Chalcidice, at the head of the Toronaic Gulf, east of Olynthus, of which it was the sea-port.

Olynthus

OLYNTHOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
   (Olunthos). A town of Chalcidice, at the head of the Toronaic Gulf, and the most important of the Greek cities on the coast of Macedonia. It was at the head of a confederacy of all the Greek towns in its neighbourhood, and maintained its independence, except for a short interval, when it was subject to Sparta (379-375), till it was taken and destroyed by Philip, B.C. 347. The Olynthiac orations of Demosthenes were delivered by the orator to urge the Athenians to send assistance to the city when it was attacked by Philip. When the supremacy of Sparta was destroyed by the Thebans, Olynthus recovered its independence, and even received an accession of power from Philip, who was anxious to make Olynthus a counterpoise to the influence of Athens in the north of the Aegean. With this view Philip gave Olynthus the territory of Potidaea, after he had wrested this town from the Athenians in 356. But when he had sufficiently consolidated his power to be able to set at defiance both Olynthus and Athens, he threw off the mask, and laid siege to the former city. The Olynthians earnestly besought Athens for assistance, and were warmly supported by Demosthenes in his Olynthiac orations; but as the Athenians did not render the city any effectual assistance, it was taken and destroyed by Philip, and all its inhabitants sold as slaves (347). Olynthus was never restored. Olynthus used the town of Mecyberna as its port.

This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Potidaea

POTIDEA (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
(Potidaia). A town in Macedonia, on the narrow isthmus of the peninsula Pallene, was a colony of the Corinthians. It afterwards became tributary to Athens, and its revolt from the latter city, in B.C. 432, was one of the immediate causes of the Peloponnesian War. It was taken by the Athenians in 429, after a siege of more than two years, its inhabitants expelled, and their place supplied by Athenian colonists. In 356 it was taken by Philip, who destroyed the city and gave its territory to the Olynthians. Cassander built a new city on the same site, to which he gave the name of Cassandrea, and which soon became the most flourishing city in all Macedonia.

This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Sermyla, Sermule

SERMYLI (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
A town in Macedonia on the peninsula Sithonia or its isthmus.

Singus, Singos

SINGOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI

Sithonia

SITHONIA (Ancient area) HALKIDIKI
   The central one of the three peninsulas running out from Chalcidice in Macedonia, between the Toronaic and Singitic gulfs. The Thracians were originally spread over the greater part of Macedonia; and the ancients derived the name of Sithonia from a Thracian king, Sithon. We also find mention of a Thracian people, Sithonii, on the shores of the Pontus Euxinus; and the poets frequently use Sithonis and Sithonius in the general sense of Thracicus.

This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Scione, (Skione)

SKIONI (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
The chief town in the Macedonian peninsula of Pallene, on the western coast. It revolted from Athens in the Peloponnesian War, and being taken by Cleon, the male inhabitants were put to death and the women and children sold as slaves.

Stagirus

STAGIRA (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
   (Stageiros), subsequently Stagira (ta Stageira). Now Stavro; a town of Macedonia, in Chalcidice, on the Strymonic Gulf, and a little north of the isthmus which unites the promontory of Athos to Chalcidice. It was a colony of Andros, was founded B.C. 656, and was originally called Orthagoria. It is celebrated as the birthplace of Aristotle, who in English literature is often spoken of as "the Stagirite."

This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks


Museum (Mouseion). Originally a temple of the Muses, then a place dedicated to the works of the Muses. In this sense the most remarkable and most important museum of antiquity was that established at Alexandria by Ptolemy Philadelphus in the first half of the third century B.C., or perhaps by his father, Ptolemy Soter...
The Alexandrian Museum was probably suggested by the Museum at Athens founded in accordance with the will of Theophrastus, the pupil of Aristotle ( Diog. Laert.v. 5). This may have taken its name (Mouseion) from the earlier Mouseion at Stagira, Aristotle's birthplace.

Torone

TORONI (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
A town of Macedonia, in the district of Chalcidice, and on the southwest side of the peninsula Sithonia, from which the gulf between the peninsulas Sithonia and Pallene was called Sinus Toronaicus.

Individuals' pages

Links

Chalcidice

HALKIDIKI (Ancient area) GREECE
  Large peninsula southeast of Macedon, in the northwestern Aegean Sea looking somehow like a hand with three fingers.
  Chalcidice was also the name of the region of the island of Euboea around the city of Chalcis. In fact, the Thracian peninsula owed its name to the fact the the first Greek settlers in the area came from Chalcis (and Eretria, a nearby city of Euboea) toward the VIIIth century B. C., founding such cities as Mende, Torone, Scione.

Bernard Suzanne (page last updated 1998), ed.
This text is cited July 2003 from the Plato and his dialogues URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks.


The Philotheou Monastery Project

MONI FILOTHEOU (Monastery) AGION OROS

Local government Web-Sites

Municipality of Arnea

ARNEA (Municipality) HALKIDIKI

Prefecture of Chalkidiki

HALKIDIKI (Prefecture) MAKEDONIA CENTRAL

Municipality of Kallikratia

KALIKRATIA (Municipality) HALKIDIKI

Municipality of Moudania

MOUDANIA (Municipality) HALKIDIKI

Municipality of Ormylia

ORMYLIA (Municipality) HALKIDIKI

Municipality of Pallini

PALINI (Municipality) HALKIDIKI

Municipality of Panagia

PANAGIA (Municipality) HALKIDIKI

Municipality of Polygyros

POLYGYROS (Municipality) HALKIDIKI

Municipality of Stagira-Akanthos

STAGIRA OF AKANTHOS (Municipality) HALKIDIKI

Municipality of Toroni

TORONI (Municipality) HALKIDIKI

Municipality of Triglia

TRIGLIA (Municipality) HALKIDIKI

Local government WebPages

Acanthus

AKANTHOS (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  Ancient Acanthus is located on the north-east side of Akti, on the most eastern peninsula of Halkidiki, and on the spot of present Ierissos. Thoukididis reported Acanthus, while Ploutarhos refered to it as a mixed colony of Andrians and Halkideans, which was founded on the "Coast of Drakontos", in the place of a preexisting civilization. According to Efsevio and archaeological data its possible time of foundation is 655 B.C. Its economic resources emanated from the mining and the forestal wealth but also through agricultural and vegetable products that were transported through the appreciable harbour.
  The precocious history is not known. Its growth during the Archaic period is reflected by the big circulation of its currency, which began around 530 B.C. with the distinctive emblem of the bull killing lion. At least 92 different types of coins have been found. The first historical reference, even from the middle of the 6th cent B.C. connect the city with the Persian wars. As a free city, Acanthus initially was a member of the Athenian Alliance but later joined the Spartians. In the beginning of the 4th cent B.C., during a period of big acne, it was opposed of joining the Halkidiki Alliance. So in 348 B.C. it was conquered by the Macedonians however without being destroyed. Later it was incorporated to the region of Ouranoupolis, a new city that was founded in the isthmus, between the Strimonic and the Siggitiko gulfs by Alexarhos, brother of Kassandros. According to Livios in 200 B.C., Acanthus was beseiged by the Romans, who, as it appears, exploited all the natural sources of wealth and its harbour. Life of Acanthus continued during the Byzantine period up to the newer years.
  The ancient city is extended along a graphic hillside, 600 metres roughly south-east from the settlement of Ierissos, where relics of walls, an impressive department of citadel, scattered architectural pieces and building remnants of Hellenistic years still remain. In the same archaeological place there is a deserted Byzantine and two post Byzantine churches still remaing. Acanthus has not been unearthed yet contrary to the necropolis (graveyard), in which research began in 1973. Particularly extensive is the sight of the cemetery which possesses the seaside of Ierissos and up to today more from 600 graves have been discovered.
  The graveyard seems to have been used for a big period, starting from the Archaic season up to the Roman years, and later, perhaps with certain intervals in between each period of time,and up to the 17th Cent. B.C. The graves are extended in two or three at least layers, or in small depths in the layer of the earth, or in deeper in the sand. The provision of the graves is usually parallel in the line of the seashore. The orientation of the dead is, in most cases, southeast (skulls of the dead - and the tops of jugs). In Acanthus both adults and children were buried in the same area according to ancient burial customs.Various types of graves have been discovered some are simple dirt holes,while others have been coated with clay or undecorated clay urns, sometimes however with a painting decoration, box shaped graves, clay covered and also some smaller containers, some jug-shaped which most probabaly constituted the bigger percentage of infant or childr's burials.
  The belongings, that were usually placed in the graves next to or above the dead, are many in variety and some of them were found in earthen containers. Many times the possesions that accompanied the dead were personal or related with their professions and their personal occupations, such as jewels, pins, buckles, mirrors, weopons, needles, hooks, bill-hooks, and knives. Arms are seldom revealed. Very often in feminine and in the children's particularly graves, clay figurines which represent various feminine and male forms, actors, animals and also solid food have been found. The discoveries also present a variety in origin. Some of them trace over to other commercial centres and various workshops of the ancient world which prove the growth of local production. Burial customs, and similar types of graves which have been discovered, resemble a lot of other cemeteries in other ancient cities of Macedonia and Thrace. This reveals the connection through commercial transactions so much with the Greek-speaking East but also with other well-known centres of the island area and especially Evia, Athens, Corinthos and Viotia.

AMMOULIANI (Island) HALKIDIKI

Glarocavos

GLAROKAVOS (Settlement) HALKIDIKI
Glarocavos is a small, beautiful and natural gulf which is situated south of Pefkohori and is a place where you can enjoy the blue sea.

KALAMITSI (Settlement) HALKIDIKI
Kalamitsi is a settlement on the shore of a beautiful bay which consists of many small beaches, now equipped with campaign sides, restaurants, rent rooms etc.

PIGADAKIA (Settlement) HALKIDIKI
Pigadaki is the name of the tiny settlement of eight inhabitants which surrounds the picturesque port of Sikia and now boasts several fish tavernas.

Porto Koufo

PORTO KOUFO (Port) HALKIDIKI
Photo Album in URL, information in Greek only.

TORONI (Village) HALKIDIKI
Toroni stretches northwards along the beach from the ancient Acropolis of Likythos Its 239 inhabitants mostly occupy themselves with the tourist trade running seafront rent rooms and fish tavernas.

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