Potidaea (/ˌpɒtɪˈdiːə/; Ancient Greek: Ποτίδαια, Potidaia, also Ποτείδαια, Poteidaia[1]) was a colony founded by the Corinthians around 600 BC in the narrowest point of the peninsula of Pallene, the westernmost of three peninsulas at the southern end of Chalcidice in northern Greece.[2]
Map of ancient Chalcidice, showing peninsula of Pallene and PotidaeaCoinage of Potidaia, circa 525-500 BC. Obv: Horseman holding trident; star below. Rev: Head of female right, with Archaic features, in linear square within incuse square.Remains of the city wall of Potidaea.
While besieged by the Persians in 479 BC, the town may have been saved by a tsunami rather than a particularly high tide.[3]Herodotus reports how the Persian attackers who tried to exploit an unusual retreat of the water were suddenly surprised by "a great flood-tide, higher, as the people of the place say, than any one of the many that had been before".[4] Several tsunamigenic layers have been identified along the Thracian Coast,[5] indicating that the region is prone to tsunamis. While tsunami are generally associated with earthquakes, Herodotus, the source of this story, makes no mention of an earthquake at the time. This makes it more likely that the event was a meteotsunami. Not only are such events relatively common in the Mediterranean, but their effect is amplified in a long, narrow body of water, which is a good description for the situation of Potidaea, which lies at the head of Toroneos gulf.
During the time of the Delian League, conflicts occurred between Athens and Corinth. 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 in 430 BC.[6]
The Athenians retook the city in 363 BC, but in 356 BC Potidaea fell into the hands of Philip II of Macedon. Potidaea was destroyed and its territory handed to the Olynthians. Cassander built a city on the same site which was named Cassandreia. 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) and took the official name Colonia Iulia Augusta Cassandrensis.[7]
Modern legacyedit
The modern settlement of Nea Poteidaia, built for refugees from Asia Minor after the First World War, 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.
^Mathes-Schmidt, Margret; et al. (2013). "Geochemical and micropaleontological investigations of tsunamigenic eochemical and micropaleontological investigations of tsunamigenic layers along the Thracian Coast (Northern Aegean Sea, Greece) ayers along the Thracian Coast (Northern Aegean Sea, Greece)". Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie. 57 (Suppl. 4): 5–27.
^Samsaris, D. (1987). "La colonie romaine de Cassandréa en Macédoine. Colonia Iulia Augusta Cassandrensis" [The Roman Colony of Cassandreia in Macedonia (Colonia Iulia Augusta Cassandrensis)]. Dodona (in French). 16 (1): 353–362.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Archaeological site of Potidaia.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. 2012, Columbia University Press
potidaea, ancient, greek, Ποτίδαια, potidaia, also, Ποτείδαια, poteidaia, colony, founded, corinthians, around, narrowest, point, peninsula, pallene, westernmost, three, peninsulas, southern, chalcidice, northern, greece, ancient, chalcidice, showing, peninsul. Potidaea ˌ p ɒ t ɪ ˈ d iː e Ancient Greek Potidaia Potidaia also Poteidaia Poteidaia 1 was a colony founded by the Corinthians around 600 BC in the narrowest point of the peninsula of Pallene the westernmost of three peninsulas at the southern end of Chalcidice in northern Greece 2 Map of ancient Chalcidice showing peninsula of Pallene and Potidaea Coinage of Potidaia circa 525 500 BC Obv Horseman holding trident star below Rev Head of female right with Archaic features in linear square within incuse square Remains of the city wall of Potidaea History editSee also 479 BC Potidaea earthquake While besieged by the Persians in 479 BC the town may have been saved by a tsunami rather than a particularly high tide 3 Herodotus reports how the Persian attackers who tried to exploit an unusual retreat of the water were suddenly surprised by a great flood tide higher as the people of the place say than any one of the many that had been before 4 Several tsunamigenic layers have been identified along the Thracian Coast 5 indicating that the region is prone to tsunamis While tsunami are generally associated with earthquakes Herodotus the source of this story makes no mention of an earthquake at the time This makes it more likely that the event was a meteotsunami Not only are such events relatively common in the Mediterranean but their effect is amplified in a long narrow body of water which is a good description for the situation of Potidaea which lies at the head of Toroneos gulf During the time of the Delian League conflicts occurred between Athens and Corinth 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 in 430 BC 6 The Athenians retook the city in 363 BC but in 356 BC Potidaea fell into the hands of Philip II of Macedon Potidaea was destroyed and its territory handed to the Olynthians Cassander built a city on the same site which was named Cassandreia 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 and took the official name Colonia Iulia Augusta Cassandrensis 7 Modern legacy editThe modern settlement of Nea Poteidaia built for refugees from Asia Minor after the First World War 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 editDelian League Peloponnesian Wars List of ancient Greek citiesReferences edit Lund University Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire POTEIDAIA Nea Poteidaia Chalkidike Greece entry in The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites Smid T C 1970 Tsunamis in Greek Literature Greece amp Rome 2nd Ser 17 1 100 104 102f JSTOR 642332 Herodotus The Histories 8 129 Mathes Schmidt Margret et al 2013 Geochemical and micropaleontological investigations of tsunamigenic eochemical and micropaleontological investigations of tsunamigenic layers along the Thracian Coast Northern Aegean Sea Greece ayers along the Thracian Coast Northern Aegean Sea Greece Zeitschrift fur Geomorphologie 57 Suppl 4 5 27 nbsp Smith William ed 1854 1857 Cassandreia Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography London John Murray Samsaris D 1987 La colonie romaine de Cassandrea en Macedoine Colonia Iulia Augusta Cassandrensis The Roman Colony of Cassandreia in Macedonia Colonia Iulia Augusta Cassandrensis Dodona in French 16 1 353 362 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Archaeological site of Potidaia The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia 6th ed 2012 Columbia University Press Greek Coinage of Potidaea 40 11 37 N 23 19 40 E 40 1937 N 23 3278 E 40 1937 23 3278 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Potidaea amp oldid 1209236027, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
