Halkidiki history and mythology

Halkidiki is a peninsula which is situated south east of the city of Thessaloniki. It has three peninsulas (Kassandra, Sithonia and Athos). The capital of Halkidiki is Poligiros, located in the centre of Halkidiki which is 69 km from Thessaloniki.

History:

Halkidiki was inhabited approximately 700,000 years ago, which was revealed by the findings from the prehistoric area of Petralona.

Halkidiki took its name from the city Halkis, located in Evia that was colonised in the 7th and 8th centuries BC. Kassandra is named after the Macedonian King Kassandros who was the brother in law of Alexander the Great. Sithonia was named after Sithon who was the son of Possidon, the ancient Greek god of the sea. Athos was named after a giant called Athos.

According to mythology, Halkidiki was the birthplace of the giants and it became a battle ground when they tried to rid the Gods from Mount Olympus. A battle took place in Kassandra, with Mother Earth (Gea) and her sons (the giants) on one side and the Gods of Olympus and a few chosen humans, like Hercules and Dionysus, at the other side. It is said that the goddess Athena threw the Kassandra at the giant Egelados and Mount Athos, the third promontory (a rocky area that juts out in to the sea) of Halkidiki, was formed when the giant Athos tossed an enormous boulder at the gods.

There have been settlements in Halkidiki since around 4000 BC. Halkidiki’s oldest inhabitants were Thracians and Pelasgians. Its dense forests provided the wood for the construction of houses and ships, while a prosperous mining industry developed from its mineral wealth.

In 348 BC, King Philippos the 2nd occupied Olynthos and Halkidiki became part of the Macedonian kingdom.

In 168 BC, Halkidiki was conquered by the Romans, along with the rest of Macedonia, and declined. The area was at relative peace until the invasion of Goths and Barbarians in 269 AD. During the years that followed, the Roman Empire was converted into a Hellenistic Christian Byzantine Empire. Its position within the Byzantine Empire is evidenced by the over 150 castles, churches, bridges and other structures.

In 1430 Halkidiki was dominated by the Turks and soon it became one of the most important centres of the Ottoman Empire. In 1821, the population revolted against the Turks, however, the rulers managed to suppress them and as a consequence, many villages were completely destroyed. In 1912, during the Macedonian war, Greek rebels succeeded in ousting their oppressors and Halkidiki was re-united with the rest of Greece.

During the 1960’s Halkidiki experienced a rapid tourist growth, not only due to its fantastic countryside but also due to the number of historic monuments, its friendly people and its traditional culture.