Location information

Xerxe's Canal

According to Irodotos, during the Midikous wars, the Persian king Xerxes wanted to lead his fleet from Acanthus to Thermi (the first name of Thessaloniki) but he also wanted to avoid the stormy waters around the peninsula of Athos. He ordered for a deep canal to be opened which began in present Nea Roda and went right through to Tripiti connecting the gulf of Ierissos with the Siggitiko gulf, where the cities of Assa, Piloros, Singos and Sarti were. The project was supervised by Artachais who exceeded all the other Persians with a height of five royal pihes(1m=64cm) (almost 2,5 metres) and had the most loudest voice than all of them. When Xerxis was in Acanthus, Artachais died, something which he considered a big disaster. And because of this, he was given a splendid funeral and a most beautiful monument.

This text is cited March 2004 from the Municipality of Stagira-Akanthos URL below