Amphipolis Under Siege- And Potodeidaia Too!
Whilst researching another project in September, I unearthed some information that other Xenites may find interesting. Both Amphipolis and Poteidaia saw their share of action during the Peloponnesian War in the fifth century BC. One of the conflict's earliest clashes was the siege of Poteidaia, a Corinthian colony on the western coast of Macedonia's Chalcidic Peninsula. Athenian forces besieged the town in 432 BC, but succeeded in taking it only after a two?year blockade. Amphipolis was a colony in Thrace, founded in about 437 BC by Pericles of Athens. In 424 BC the Spartans, under the brilliant general Brasidas, attacked and captured the city. The next year, or possibly the year after that (sources conflict), another battle took place outside Amphipolis. Again the Spartans were victorious, but at the cost of Brasidas' own life.
In the following century both towns were pawns in the political machinations of Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. Philip became king in 359 BC, and two years later he occupied Amphipolis. This secured Macedon's economic and political future by allowing Philip to control the approach to the gold mines of Mount Pangaeus. The following year (356 BC) he secretly offered Amphipolis to the Athenians in return for the valuable port of Pydna. When they agreed, Philip seized both Pydna and Poteidaia, without relinquishing control of Amphipolis. He then presented Poteidaia to Olynthus, leading city of the Chalcidic Confederacy, but in 349 BC he destroyed Olynthus and took control of the Confederacy.
These events show what a chequered history many Greek cities had. It also proves that Vidalus, seen in BLIND FAITH, knew his dialects. He identified Gabrielle as Thracian or Macedonian by her accent, adding the comment "backwoods is backwards". Neither Thracians nor Macedonians were regarded as fully civilised by "true" Greeks. In addition, both Athena herself and the townsman who said, "Athena's always protected us" in AMPHIPOLIS UNDER SIEGE were correct. As an Athenian colony, Amphipolis would have regarded Athena as its patron and protector.
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