Stageira and Olympiada history part 3

Stageira's sister city Akanthos was to become one of the richest and most important cities of northern Greece during the Archaic period, and was particularly famous for its wine. Stageira itself, though far less important economically, appears to have been nontheless quite affluent. The Stageirites certainly had the manpower and money to build substantial fortifications, at least one large temple and an impressive agora (marketplace), and to double the city's area by the early 5th century BC.

The city stood on two low hills which comprise the small headland known as the Liotopi pensinsula. At its greatest extent, in the 5th century BC, the walled city was only 315 metres long and 236 metres at its widest point; 106 metres at its narrowest (see map on Ancient Stageira gallery page 7).

The original settlement was much smaller, occupying only the North Hill, on the tip of the headland. The colonists surrounded their new home with walls, the foundations of which have been discovered by archaeologists beneath later fortifications built during Classical and Byzantine times (see Ancient Stageira gallery pages 30-31).

The remains of a monumental Archaic gateway of the 6th century BC have also been discovered on the south slope of the North Hill. The gate's marble lintel, estimated to have been about 2.5 metres long, was carved with a relief of a large boar (Greek, κάπρος, kapros), the symbol of Stageira, on the left side, facing a lion on the right (see photos and information on Ancient Stageira gallery page 30). The image of a lion attacking a boar is also known from early coins of Stageira (see Olympiada gallery page 2). Part of a 6th century BC inscription was preserved on the lintel, with script chiselled in "boustropheon", i.e. written from left to right and right to left on alternate lines. The surviving fragments of the lintel are now in the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum, while many other finds from Stageira are in the Polygyros Archaeological Museum, in central Halkidiki.

It is not known how much support the early settlers had from Andros and/or Chalcis, or what degree cooperation or competition there was between the colonies. The geographer Strabo wrote that "as Aristotle states..." the leaders of the colonists "were men chosen according to the value of their property, who ruled in an aristocratic manner." (see note in History part 2) It is also known that Aristotle lived the last years of his life in Chalcis, on land he inherited from his mother, who is said to have been descended from one of these leaders. (see note in History part 2) It is likely then, that the leaders could have supported themselves to a certain extent with revenues from their lands in Chalcis.

Around 506 BC Chalcis sided with Sparta and Boeotia in a disastrous war against Athens, and was swiftly and soundly defeated. The Athenians demanded a ransom for two pounds of silver for each prisoner of war, expelled the Chalcidian ruling aristocracy and settled a colony of 4,000 Athenian cleruchs [12] on their land. (See also: Athens Acropolis gallery page 8)

This turn of events must have had an effect on its colonies. Aristocratic colonists may also have lost land and incomes from Chalcis, and could no longer depend on support from kinsmen there. The expelled Chalcidians and their families and households (slaves), may have sought refuge at the colonies, adding to strains in the small settlements.

The Stageirites would certainly be able to live quite well in their new home from agriculture, hunting and fishing. From the narrow wooded coastal plain either side of the Liotopi peninsula the land rises steeply to hills of up to 750 metres high. This land is suitable for the production of olives, wine and other fruits and vegetables, but not for the extensive cultivation of cereals. Today, cereals are still grown on the flatter lands to the north of Halkidiki, on its western side and Pallene peninsula (now called Kassandra), and on the plains of Macedonia. During Classical times, Greece's biggest suppliers of grain were the Greek colonies around the Black Sea. [13]

The settlers will have brought livestock (or stolen it from the natives; cattle has always been a typical form of conquerers' booty), and they had access to fish and hunting prey, which ancient writers tell us was plentiful in this area (e.g. Herodotus: "the coasts of Athos abound in wild beasts..." (see note in History part 4). Wild pigs, roe deer, hares, woodcocks and other birds are still to be found around Halkidiki. Wild boar is hunted today in the Holomontas mountain area west of Stageira, where boar steaks are offered on restaurant menus. [14]

If there is a historical basis to Plutarch's story of the arbitration by the Eretrians, Samians and Parians in the dispute between the Andrians and Chalcidians over Akanthos (see note in History part 2), it may be reasonable to assume that the colonies cooperated with each other to some degree in matters of defence, as well as legal and territorial disputes. It also seems likely that there was some coordination in efforts to establish trade, at least between Stageira and Akanthos.