Spartolus or Spartolos ( grc, Σπάρτωλος) was the chief city of the
Bottiaeans Bottiaeans or ''Bottiaei'' (Ancient Greek: ) were an ancient people of uncertain origin, living in Central Macedonia. Sometime, during the Archaic Greece, Archaic period, they were expelled by Macedonians from Bottiaea to Bottike. During the Classic ...
, perhaps in
Bottike
Bottike or ''Bottice'' (Greek: ) was a western region of ancient Chalcidice, inhabited by Bottiaeans, who, were expelled from their homeland Bottiaea by Macedonians sometime in the Archaic period . Their chief polis was Spartolos. Bottiaeans wer ...
, in the northwest of the
ancient Chalcidice, at no great distance from
Olynthus
Olynthus ( grc, Ὄλυνθος ''Olynthos'', named for the ὄλυνθος ''olunthos'', "the fruit of the wild fig tree") was an ancient city of Chalcidice, built mostly on two flat-topped hills 30–40m in height, in a fertile plain at the he ...
. It was a member of the
Delian League under the
Thracian phoros
The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied ...
, paying 2 or 3.5
talents, until the beginning of the
Peloponnesian War, when the
Bottiaean and the
Chalkidian League
The Chalcidian League ( el, Κοινόν τῶν Χαλκιδέων, ''Koinon tōn Chalkideōn'', "League of the Chalcidians"), also referred to as the Olynthians or the Chalcidians in Thrace (, ''Chalkideis epi Thrakēs'') to distinguish them fr ...
revolted against
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 ...
in 429 BCE. The ensuing
Battle of Spartolos, fought under the walls of Spartolos, saw the rout of the
Athenian
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 ...
forces by the Chalcideans. It was of sufficient importance to be mentioned in the treaty establishing the
Peace of Nicias
The Peace of Nicias was a peace treaty signed between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta in March 421 BC that ended the first half of the Peloponnesian War.
In 425 BC, the Spartans had lost the battles of Pylos and Sphacteria, a severe ...
between Athens and
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
in the tenth year of the
Peloponnesian War, in 421 BCE, leaving the town neutral. It seems however that sometime later it became again an Athenian allied member. It is mentioned again in connection with the
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
n
Teleutias' attack on
Olynthus
Olynthus ( grc, Ὄλυνθος ''Olynthos'', named for the ὄλυνθος ''olunthos'', "the fruit of the wild fig tree") was an ancient city of Chalcidice, built mostly on two flat-topped hills 30–40m in height, in a fertile plain at the he ...
in 381 BCE.
The last mention of Spartolos is not as a city but among other agricultural territories () in a royal decree of
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 ...
about land leasing to a certain Perdikkas son of Koinos (the lands had partly been awarded by
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 ...
to Polemokrates, his grandfather).
Its site is located in the western part of the Chalcidice.
References
*Studies in the ancient Greek polis By Mogens Herman Hansen, Kurt A. Raaflau
Page 119 (1995)
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Populated places in ancient Macedonia
Former populated places in Greece
Geography of ancient Chalcidice
Cities in ancient Macedonia
Members of the Delian League