Delian League, conflicts occurred between
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
and
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government refor ...
. However, the Corinthians still sent a supreme magistrate each year. Potidaea was inevitably involved in all of the conflicts between Athens and Corinth. The people revolted against the Athenians in 432 BC, and it was besieged at the beginning of the
Peloponnesian War and taken in the
Battle of Potidaea
The Battle of Potidaea was fought in 432 BC between Athens and a combined army from Corinth and Potidaea, along with their various allies. Along with the Battle of Sybota, it was one of the catalysts for the Peloponnesian War.
Background
Pot ...
in 430 BC.
The Athenians retook the city in 363 BC, but in 356 BC Potidaea fell into the hands of
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 382 – 21 October 336 BC) was the king ('' basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ...
. Potidaea was destroyed and its territory handed to the
Olynthians.
Cassander
Cassander ( el, Κάσσανδρος ; c. 355 BC – 297 BC) was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 305 BC until 297 BC, and ''de facto'' ruler of southern Greece from 317 BC until his death.
A son of Antipater and a conte ...
built a city on the same site which was named
Cassandreia
Cassandreia, Cassandrea, or Kassandreia ( grc, Κασσάνδρεια, ''Kassándreia'') was once one of the most important cities in Ancient Macedonia, founded by and named after Cassander in 316 BC. It was located on the site of the earlier Anc ...
. It was probably at this time that the canal, which still exists today, was dug through the sandy soil at the narrowest part of the isthmus, perhaps with the aim of making the city a naval base. In 43 BC a Roman colony was settled by the proconsul of Macedonia, which in 30 BC was resettled by Octavian (the future
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
) and took the official name Colonia Iulia Augusta Cassandrensis.
[D. Samsaris,''The Roman Colony of Cassandreia in Macedonia (Colonia Iulia Augusta Cassandrensis)'', ''Dodona'' 16(1), 1987, 353-362.]
Modern legacy
The modern settlement of
Nea Poteidaia
Nea Poteidaia ( el, Νέα Ποτείδαια, also Νέα Ποτίδαια) is a town in the Moudania municipal unit, in Chalkidiki, Greece. The location is the only land access to the Kassandra Peninsula. Built on the site of the ancient city ...
, built for refugees from Asia Minor after the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, is situated near this ancient site.
In popular culture, the fictional character
Gabrielle from the TV series
Xena: Warrior Princess was described as being from Potidaea.
See also
*
Delian League
*
Peloponnesian Wars
The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of th ...
*
List of ancient Greek cities
References
External links
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. 2012, Columbia University Press
{{coord, 40.1937, N, 23.3278, E, display=title, format=dms, source:http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/22703
Populated places established in the 6th century BC
Populated places disestablished in the 4th century BC
Corinthian colonies
Greek colonies in Chalcidice
Former populated places in Greece
Members of the Delian League
Populated places in ancient Macedonia