Ancient Stagira, homeland of Aristotle, the greatest philosopher of antiquity, teacher of Alexander the Great, are located roughly 500 meters to the southeast from the village Olympiada, above a small, mountainous peninsula, which is called “Liotopi”. Founded by colonists from Andros around 655BC on the eastern neck of Halkidiki, they were soon reached by colonists from Chalcis. Ancient sources offer us with an accurate reference for the location of the city: they place Stagira south of Akanthos and on a coastal place and add the existence of a small isled opposite the city, called “Kapros” [the same name was also attributed to the port of the city and many of the coins of the city had a wild boar (=kapros in Greek) as a symbol]. Tradition holds it that the people of Stagira moved and buried Aristotle’s relics in their city and honor his memory with a great festival “Aristoteleia”. After the Persian wars Stagira participated in the First Delian League contributing to the common fund a relatively small tax. However during the Peloponnesian War the city defected from the Athenians in 424BC and allied with the Spartans, surrendering to Brasidas. This enraged the Athenians who send Cleon to restore the city to the Athenian sphere of influence. However the Stagireans were successful in fending off Cleon and the city maintained its independence. Later Stagira was incorporated to the Chalkidian League, the federation of cities in Chalkidiki with Olyntus as its capital. In the Olynthian War (349BC) Stagira were besieged by Philipp II and destroyed, but were rebuilt by him being the birthplace of Aristotle (Herodotus, 7,115. Thucydides 4,88,2. Stabo 7,331. Plutarch, Alexander 7,3). Despite the city’s reconstruction, its destruction by Philipp was the beginning of its decline.
Nach der Mythologie war Torone die Gattin des Proteas, des Sohnes von Poseidon. Spuren von vorgeschichtlichen Siedlungen aus dem 3. Jahrtausend v. Chr. und viele andere Überreste von antiken Tempeln, frühchristlichen und byzantinischen Kirchen, Burgen usw. bezeugen, dass die Region seit der neolithischen Zeit ständig besiedelt ist.
Das antike Torone wurde von Siedlern aus Chalkis im 8. Jh. v. Chr. gegründet. Im 5. Jh. v. Chr. gehörte Torone zu den bedeutendsten Städten der Chalkidiki. Sie prägte ihre eigenen Münzen und war Mitglied des Attischen Seebundes. Thukydides berichtet, dass sie 423 v. Chr. vom Spartaner Brasidas eingenommen wurde. 348 v. Chr. fiel die Stadt an das Königreich von Philipp II. 168 v. Chr. wurde sie von den Römern erobert, und die Stadt verfiel. In byzantinischer Zeit war das Gebiet Klostergut von mehreren Klöstern des Athos.
Ihre starken Mauern und andere Gebäude wurden im 19. Jh. zerstört, als die Türken die Granitsteine verwendeten, mit denen sie errichtet waren, um Hauptstraßen in Istanbul und Thessaloniki zu pflastern. Laut den neuesten Ergebnissen der Ausgrabungen wurde festgestellt, dass das Gebiet kontinuierlich seit Ende der neolithischen Zeit bis zur Türkenherrschaft besiedelt war. Es wurden Gebäudeüberreste gefunden, aber sie sind nur sehr fragmentarisch erhalten, weil sie durch die ständige Landnutzung zerstört worden sind. Die Ausgräber widmeten der Nekropole der eisenzeitlichen Siedlung besondere Aufmerksamkeit, deren Bestehen den Zeitraum vom Ende des 12. Jh. bis Mitte des 9. Jh. v. Chr. umfasst. In dieser Nekropole wurden 134 Gräber ausgegraben, von denen 118 Feuerbestattungen und 16 einfache Erdbestattungen waren. 500 Gefäße kamen so ans Tageslicht, die entweder als Urnen oder als Grabbeigaben für die Toten verwendet worden waren.
Folklore Museum Akti Elias
Nikiti Hotel ATHENA PALLAS
P.C. 63088
ΤEL.: 23750 81410
Folklore Museum N. Triglia
N. Triglia
P.C. 63200
ΤEL.: 23730 51205
Folklore Museum Afytos
Áfitos
P.C. 63077
ΤEL.: 23740 91239
Folklore Museum Arnaia
Arnea
P.C. 63074
ΤEL.: 23720 22323
Folklore Museum Polygyros
Polygyros House Karaganis
P.C. 63100
ΤEL.: 23710 22619
Museum of Craft & Fishing Tools
N. Moudania Area Tzitzifies
P.C. 63200
ΤEL.: 23730 26166
Folklore Museum of Bithynia
N. Moudania District Almira, House Haji Osman Turk
P.C. 63200
ΤEL.: 23730 21368
Museum Petralona
Petralona Mountain Katsika
P.C. 63200
ΤEL.:23730 71671
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Polygyros Archaeological Museum
The Museum in Polygyros is home to representative archaeological findings from across Halkidiki, which illustrate the important cultural history of this land from the Prehistoric Era. On display in the Museum’s antechamber are various inscribed and embossed monuments dating from the Classical and Hellenistic era: the inscribed testimonies originate from tombstones, marble or limestone, but also from stone faces where contracts for the sale and purchase of houses and vineyards have been engraved. Worth mentioning is also part of a dedicatory relief from Potidaea dating from the 4th century BC. The picture is completed by characteristic products of the local illustrated and unadorned pottery, as well as foreign – imported from Attica and Korinthos, which are flanked by bronze and silver jewelry. They date to the archaic and classical periods and come from private collections – donations by lovers of antiquity in Polygyros. An incomplete kouros (statue of a young man) from the sea of Olympiada (ancient Stageira) is representative of archaic era sculpture in Halkidiki. The findings from the excavations at Toroni date back to the Bronze Age and the sub-Mycenaean period, but most of them originate from the Protogeometric period. Just two pottery samples belong to the classic era. Pottery and metalworking products (weapons and jewelry) of the late-archaic and classical eras have been found mainly in tombs in various areas in Halkidiki, such as in Kastri, Polygyros, in Afytos and in Neos Marmaras, in Plana and in Pyrgadikia. From the expansive burial grounds of ancient Akanthos in Ierissos originate some distinctive aggregations of burial offerings dating from the Archaic up to the Hellenistic period. The dead were accompanied in their journey to the underworld by earthen vessels, statuettes and personal articles, such as previous jewelry, bronze and golden ones, representative samples of the work of renowned Macedonian goldsmiths. The visitor will have a more thorough view of human activity and its accomplishments in antiquity from the findings of Olynthos, the only city in Halkidiki parts of which have undergone extensive and systematic excavations. A site inhabited already by the later New Stone and Copper Age, like its neighboring settlement of Agios Mamantas, it offers general information regarding the art of these periods, but also and more specifically on the history and art of the archaic and classical Olynthos, the city-state with a multifaceted activity in the spheres of public and private life. Originating from the sanctuary of Zeus Ammon in ancient Afytios, present day Kallithea, and on display at the museum are earthen parts from the temple’s roof, adorned with inscribed and embossed decorations, a marble head of Dionysus and fragments from vessels with surviving inscriptions. The two burial statues dating from the Roman era (1st century BC) originate from a burial monument found in Stratoni. The exhibition is complemented by sketches and photographic material. The private collection donated by Lampropoulos’ family to the Archaeological Museum in Polygyros is exhibited in a special hall of the museum.
Visitors are allowed to take pictures using portable cameras with no flash. With a special permit one can use tripod, flash and shoot video.
Open daily, except Mondays, from 08:30am until 15:00pm.
Operational Unit: 16th Ephorate for Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities
Postal Code: 631 00, Polygyros,
Tel: 23710 22148
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