AKANTHOS
Chalkidike, Greece.
A city on
the Chalkidean Isthmus of Akte between the Singitic and
Strymonic Gulfs at the modern village of lerissos. According to Thucydides (
4.84) it was founded as a colony
of Andros. Akanthos is well known for its coins, which
had a wide circulation. Its primary source of income was
probably agriculture.
Historically, Akanthos appears first in connection with
the Persian Wars when it supported first Mardonios
(
Hdt. 6.44) and then Xerxes (
Hdt. 7.22; 115ff; 121). It
was particularly important in aiding the latter dig his
canal across the Isthmus of Akte (
Hdt. 7.22, 115;
Thuc.
4.109). The line of this canal can be traced today starting
at the village of Nea Rhoda, which is approximately 2 km
SE of lerissos. In the Athenian Tribute Lists Akanthos
regularly paid 3 talents after 446-445; 5 talents were paid
in the only preserved list of the first two tribute periods
in 450-449 (
ATL III 239ff, 267ff). Originally siding with
Athens in the Peloponnesian War, Akanthos went over
to Brasidas in 424 on the urging of the oligarchic faction
(
Thuc. 4.84ff). The fact that its troops are named in
addition to the Chalkideans in Brasidas' army indicates
that Akanthos did not join the Chalkidean League. With
the Peace of Nikias the city was granted autonomy but
was forced to resume paying tribute to Athens (
Thuc.
5.18.5). Although Akanthos was taken over by the Macedonians in the 4th c. it was apparently not destroyed by
them. It was then joined on the Isthmus by the new city
of Uranopolis, founded by Alexarchos. The Romans pillaged Akanthos in 200 A.D. (
Livy 31.45.15ff), but its
harbor was still important in 167 (
Livy 45.30.4). Evidence of continued existence in Imperial times is provided by the Roman inscriptions found on the acropolis.
Silver coins were first minted in Akanthos around 530
in large quantities on the Euboic standard. Around 424
there was a change over to the Phoenician standard. The
Akanthos mint had ceased operation by, at the latest,
the middle of the 4th c.
No systematic excavations have been undertaken as
yet at Akanthos. The most significant remains preserved
today are the impressive walls on the acropolis standing
for some distance nearly 8 m in height. Ancient architectural blocks such as capitals, columns, and geison blocks
are reused in a ruinous Byzantine church and others are
lying in the vicinity of the acropolis. Remains of an
ancient mole in the harbor are reported by Leake and
Struck. A Roman sarcophagus, a Roman inscription, and
a Roman inscribed column drum have been found at the
site.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
W. M. Leake,
Nor. Gr. (1835) III 147ff;
B. V. Head,
Catalogue of Greek Coins, Macedonia . . . ,
5 (1879); R. Pietschmann, “Akanthos,”
RE I (1894)
1147-48; A. Struck,
Makedonische Fahrten I (1907) 66;
J. Desneux, “Les Tetradrachmes d'Akanthos,”
Revue
belge de numismatique 95 (1949) 5-122; A. Guillou &
J. Bompaire, “Recherches au Mont Athos: Vestiges Antiques au Mont-Athos,”
BCH 82 (1958) 192; id.,
Deltion
24 (1969) 309
I; M. Zahrnt,
Olynth und die Chalkidier
(1971) 146-50.
S. G. MILLER
