The Founding of Thessaloniki: A Comparison of Literary, Archaeological and Topographical Evidence

A detailed study of Thessaloniki’s founding, combining archaeological evidence, Strabo’s texts, and Hellenistic urban planning.This book examines the founding of Thessaloniki, one of the most important and enduring Hellenistic cities. It brings together various topics relating to Cassander’s foundation, some of them reconsidered and others examined for the first time, and is informed by the results of the archaeological research of the region around modern Thessaloniki that has taken place in the last 40 years and the significant topographical observations that result from them, including the huge impact that the foundation of Thessaloniki had on the settlement map around the Thermaic Gulf.Most important is the examination of the data on the founding of Thessaloniki that may be derived from Strabo’s work, the only ancient source that describes the event. The two relevant fragments are discussed in detail. Finally, the book examines some issues relating to the founding of Thessaloniki that were not touched upon by Strabo, including the motivations and ambitions behind Cassander’s founding of the new city, as well as the outcomes and general impact of its establishment.In this monograph, all the components of both the textual and the current archaeological evidence are analytically and comparatively examined, while comparisons with other cases of synoecism, especially within the same timeframe, that are described in the ancient literature are made in an effort to shed more light on the topography around Thessaloniki before and immediately after its founding. Among the main objectives of the book are: to produce an original contribution to modern scholarship by advancing our understanding of the way an important Hellenistic city was founded through the procedure of synoecism; to demonstrate that when it comes to historical/archaeological questions of a topographical nature, the literary and archaeological evidence is deficient if it is not supplemented by topographical data, something for which there are many more convenient tools available today than there were some decades ago; and to encourage further research on key aspects of the archaeology and ancient history of central Macedonia.Table of ContentsList of illustrationsPrefaceIntroductionPart I. The Evidence from Strabo’s Work 1. The relevant fragments and a comparison of the two epitomes1.1. Generally1.2. Some minor differences1.3. On the fate of the synoecised settlements after the synoecism1.4. On the number of synoecised settlements1.5. On the urban status of the synoecised settlements1.6. On the names of the synoecised settlements1.7. Conclusion2. Defining the area of the twenty-six synoecised settlements 3. The known ancient sites within the area that gave population to Thessaloniki 4. The settlements mentioned by Strabo4.1. Apollonia4.2. Chalastra4.3. Gareskos and Aeneia4.4. Kissos5. Which were the other twenty settlements?Part II. The Case of Therme6. Thracian, Greek, or Macedonian?7. Where was Therme located?7.1. The theories that have been put forward7.2. The archaeological evidence 7.2.1. Thermi7.2.2. Toumba7.2.3. Karabournaki7.2.4. Thessaloniki7.3. The textual evidence7.4. Concluding remarks8. Was Therme organised kata komas?8.1. Briefly on the term kome8.2. The meaning of the expressions komedon and kata komas in the ancient Greek literature8.3. Attested or possible kata komas settlements in Greece8.4. Komai in Macedonia8.5. About Therme8.5.1. Topographical remarks 8.5.2. Historical remarksPart III. The Founding of Thessaloniki: Motivations and Impact9. Synoecisms in the Hellenistic period10. Cassander’s synoecisms11. The role of the harbour in the synoecism of Thessaloniki 12. The impact of Thessaloniki’s founding on the wider region13. Some thoughts on the status of settlements remaining after the synoecismConclusionsBibliographyIndex Read more