Ancient Skioni

Herodotus mentions that Ancient Skioni was located between Theramvo and Mende. Based on the results of excavations carried out in the area, the location was determined on the western side of the Kassandra Peninsula, on the shores of the Thermaikos Gulf, at a distance of two kilometers south of the current city of Nea Skioni.

The ancient city of Skioni was built after the Trojan War and is mentioned as the first colony of the southern Greeks on the territory of the Chalkidiki Peninsula. Warriors from the Pallene region (Peloponnese) after the fall of Troy returned home on ships loaded with slaves and booty. Sailing through Halkidiki, the ships landed on the northwestern coast of Kassandra in order to replenish water and food supplies. While the Pallenians were on land, the Trojan slaves burned the ships and thus forced the warriors to remain forever on the Kassandra Peninsula. The settlement founded by the warriors was named Skioni. An ancient coin of this city (5th century BC) depicts the Homeric hero Protesileos, who is also mentioned as the founder of the city. However, the existence of ancient settlements in the area can be traced back to the late Neolithic and early Bronze Ages through traces discovered during excavations a kilometer north of ancient Skioni at the site of the modern "Panagia" (Church Panagia Faneromeni). The settlement was built near the sea, and the main occupation of the inhabitants was fishing. The prehistoric cemetery discovered at the settlement may also reflect the intermingling of Skioni's settlers with the indigenous population, suggesting a peaceful settlement of Skioni not only by Achaean settlers, but also by local inhabitants who had previously existed in the area.

During excavations, two burial methods were identified:

a) Cremation, in which the crushed bones, after being burned, were carefully collected and placed in a vessel.

b) Inhumation, i.e. burial in a vessel, which in ancient times was a common way of burying small children and infants.

In the same area, the archaic cemetery was found, in which the tombs are pit-shaped, box-shaped, lined inside with flat clay slabs and inlays. Inside these burials, real treasures were discovered: vases, glass, alabaster, clay tables, clay busts of women and men, silver bracelets, and a copper bowstring. A large public building whose walls are built with the isostructural system (hewn stones in horizontal isomeric layers) dates back to the classical period.

In the Greco-Roman period, the city is mentioned by Strabo (the famous historian and geographer) as one of the four great cities of Pallini. He writes that a Roman settlement arose in this area, the existence of which was associated with craft activities, which was confirmed thanks to the found ceramic kilns.

In the Byzantine period there could also have been small settlements here, as evidenced by the discovery of an early Christian church, on the site of which the Church of Panagia Faneromeni is built now. After the 10th century AD, the entire territory came under the jurisdiction of the monasteries of Athos.

The city of Skioni became famous in history from the events of 481 BC, when, according to Herodotus, the city was forced to provide ships to the army of the Persian king Xerxes during his campaign against the southern Greeks. In his narrative, Herodotus tells us about the episode with the famous Scionian diver Scyllias and his daughter Hydna, who secretly followed the fleet of the Persian king under water and, shortly before the naval battle of Artemisium, provided invaluable assistance to the southern Greeks by informing them of Xerxes' plans. Later, when a strong storm began before the battle, Hydna dived to unmoor the Persian ships, which destroyed most of the fleet, which was unable to sail from the bay. The resulting delay gave the Greek fleet more time to prepare at Artemisia and ultimately led to the Greek victory at Salamis.

Pausanias mentions Androbius (an ancient Greek artist from the site of Pallini) when describing gifts to Delphi. The artist depicted Skillius as a historical figure, cutting the anchors of the ships of Xerxes' fleet. Recognizing the enormous contribution of Skillius, as well as his daughter Hydna, later, by decree of Amphictyony (a union of Greek tribes), their statues were erected at Delphi, the holiest site of ancient Greece. Today these statues are probably in Italy, where they were brought by the Romans. The location of this work at Delphi is confirmed by Pliny in the 1st century AD.

After the defeat and retreat of the Persians from mainland Greece, Skioni, like all the colonies of northern Greece, came under the "protection" of the Athenian alliance, annually contributing to it an amount ranging from 4 to 9 talents of silver.

The cornerstone in the development of the city of Skioni was the events of 423 BC. Thanks to his gift of persuasion, the Spartan commander Barsidas attracted many cities of Northern Greece to the side of Sparta, which opposed the hegemony of Athens. The reason for this revolt could be the high taxation of the northern cities by the Athenians. Brasidas, as he was afraid of the reaction of Athens, moved for safety the women and children of Skioni and Mendis, who had in the meantime followed the example of Skioni, to Olynthos and strengthened the defense of the cities with Spartan guards. Meanwhile, the Athenians sent an expeditionary force to restore order in the two cities. Having subjugated Mende, they laid siege to Skioni to cut off any possible supply. The siege of the city lasted two years. Under the terms of the peace treaty of 421 BC. e. - Sparta withdrew its troops from Skioni, and the fate of the city was now decided by Athens. The Athenians sacked the city, killed all the male defenders, and exiled the rest of the population to the southern regions.The city was henceforth given to the long-suffering Plataeans, who had suffered similar treatment to that of the Scionians, by the Thebans.In the first half of the 4th century BC, available references to the city are relatively limited. It is not known whether Skioni was a member of the Chalcidian League, although according to some researchers, the concession of Potidea by Philip II to the Chalcidian League in 357 BC, could have resulted in the inclusion of the other cities as well of Pallini in the Chalcidian League. So, whatever the relationship of Skioni with the Chalkidian League, it seems that the city was not destroyed after the destruction of the League by Philip in 349-348. BC. Since then Skioni was included in the Macedonian Kingdom.

Strabo in his writings tells us that in the 1st century AD Skioni still existed. This information has not been confirmed by excavations, leading to speculation that either the location of the city was transferred, or that the settlement did not retain this name. Archaeological research in the area of ​​​​ancient Skioni is still extremely limited. Test sites for excavation were first explored only in 1986, followed by larger excavations at the same site five years later. Since 2003 and later, excavations have been carried out at the Panagia site, located to the west of the ancient city of part of the archaic cemetery of Skioni, which was located in close proximity to the Early Bronze Age cemetery, part of which has also been explored. These excavations, in addition to the rich finds discovered in the archaic part of the cemetery, gave us interesting information regarding the continuity of the population in the Skioni area.