of Macedonia. Sithonia was named after Sithon, the son of the god of the sea, Poseidon, and Athos owes its name to the giant Athos, who threw an enormous rock at Zeus but missed him.
The excavations at the Petralona Cave have proved that human life existed in Halkidiki even 700,000 years ago. Its oldest inhabitants were the Thracians and the Pelasgoi.
Established organized societies flourished in the west and central Halkidiki around the 4th century BC, such as Olynthos and the ancient city of Stagira, near Olympiada.
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After the victory of the Greeks in Salamina (in 480 BC), the inhabitants of the two big cities of Olynthos and Potidea revolted against the Persians and drove them out of their cities. After the Persian Wars, the big cities of Halkidiki became members of the Athenian Alliance and participated to the Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BC).
In 348 BC, Halkidiki became a part of the Macedonian kingdom, under Philip’s control. With Alexander the Great, the cities of Halkidiki increased in number. Among the new cities was the city of Thessaloniki, the city of Cassandria, the city of Uranoupolis and the city of Antigonia, north of the today Nea Kallicrateia.
In 168 BC, Halkidiki came under Roman domination.
In the 9th century the first monastery was built on the peninsula of Athos.
More followed and in the 11th century, the peninsula was given the name of “Holy Mountain” by a decree of a Byzantine emperor. |
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Various attempts of revolution in
Halkidiki were stopped by the Turks. Many of the inhabitants of Halkidiki joined the forces
of Pavlos Melas and other fighters for freedom.
Halkidiki was freed of the Turks in 1912 and became part of the Greek province of Macedonia.
In 1921, refugees from Asia Minor (after the Asia Minor catastrophe), Eastern Thrace and Bulgaria moved to Halkidiki, bringing a new economic and political strength.
They founded about 30 new villages and small towns such as Nea Fokea, Nea Skioni, Nea Moudiana or Nea Plagia. |
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