Thursday, 13 February 2020 - 4:30 PM
Cohen Hall 402
The paper sets out to examine the potential link and affinities between two ancient Graeco- Roman resilient cities, Olynthus and Potidaea. This study focuses on the impact of natural catastrophes and violence on the societies of these cities. Both cities suffered great losses or disappeared as a result of destruction, but also gained the advantage of revival. Our purpose is to investigate the capacity of Olynthus and Potidaea in exhibiting successful and diverse patterns of resilience, while enduring siege, war, hunger, and seaquake.
Since their foundation, the urban clusters of Olynthus and Poteidaea occupied significant geographical locations with Potidaea being located on the Isthmus of Pallene and Olynthus in the hinterland of Chalcidice peninsula with access to the gulf of Torone. Our critical analysis focuses on the resilient, symbiotic relation enjoyed by the two cities since the Peloponnesian war. We will examine Olynthus’s manifold capacity to endure the elimination of its original population (Hdt. 8.127), and become the epicentre of the Chalcidian league (Thuc. 1.58.2). Olynthus also benefitted greatly from the resettlement of inhabitants coming from the coastal cities, thus resulting to its enlargement and the foundation of a federation transcending ethnic and epichoric barriers. Despite the dissolution of the league (Xen. Hell. 5.2.1ff.), the city of Olynthus managed to re-emerge and allied with Philip II, eventually gaining Potidaea. The latter, although originally founded as a Corinthian colony, eventually became a member of the Athenian league after the two-year siege by the Athenians. After its inhabitants’ capitulation in 430/429 BCE, the town was ultimately resettled serving as a major focal point for the Athenians during the Peloponnesian War (Thuc. 1.56-65; 2.31.2; 2.31.58; 2.31.67; 2.31.70; 2.31.79; 4.7; 4.120f.; 129.3; 135.1; Syll.374f.). In the post-Peloponnesian war era, Poteidaia was returned to its former inhabitants. It became a member of the Chalcidian league, and was chosen by Spartans as a base during their war with Olynthus. Later, it was captured by Athens by Athenian klerouchoi, and, was conquered by Philip who enslaved the non-Athenian inhabitants and rendered the city to the Olynthians. After its utter destruction by Philip, Olynthus and the region formed the polis territory of the new foundation of Cassandra.
The paper concludes with critical analysis aiming to offer at least a partial understanding of the dynamics of the city-citizen interaction especially in the 4th and 3rd c. BCE for the two cities of the peninsula. Towards this goal, we examine the interactive relation of the two resilient cities in question, aiming to introduce an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to the crucial factors that largely defined Potidaea and Olynthus geographically, politically, and historically as two cities embracing a sustainable and resilient environment.