SCIO´NE
SCIO´NE (
Σκιώνη,
Hdt. 7.123,
8.128;
Thuc. 4.120-
123,
133,
5.32;
Strab. vii. p.330; Pomp. Mela, 2.2.11;
Plin. Nat. 4.17: Eth.
Σκιωναῖος, Herod.;
Σκιωνεύς,
Steph. B. sub voce the chief town on the isthmus of Pallene in Macedonia. Although it called itself Achaean, like many other colonial towns, in default of any acknowledged mother-city, it traced its origin to warriors returning from Troy. Under concert with Brasidas the Scionaeans proclaimed their revolt from Athens, two days after the truce was sworn, March, B.C. 421. Brasidas, by a speech which appealed to Grecian feeling, wound up the citizens to the highest pitch of enthusiasm. The Athenians, furious at the refusal of the Lacedaemonians to give up this prize, which they had gained after the truce, passed a resolution, under the instigation of Cleon to kill all the grown--up male inhabitants of the place, and strictly besieged the town, which Brasidas was unable to relieve, though he had previously conveyed away the women and children to a place of safety.
After a long blockade Scione surrendered to the Athenians, who put all the men of military age to death, and sold the women and children to slavery.
The site of this ill-fated city must be sought for between the capes
Paliúri and
Posídhi. (Leake,
Northern Greece, vol. iii. p. 157.)
[
E.B.J]
