Mende (Chalcidice)
Mende (Greek: Μένδη) was an ancient Greek city located in the western coast of Pallene peninsula in Chalkidiki facing the coast of Pieria across the narrow Thermaic Gulf near the modern town of Kalandra.
Ancient History
Mende was built propably during the 9th century BC by Eretrian colonists. The city owes its name to the plant minthe, a specie of mint that still sprouts in the area. The large quantities of lumber that produced, the silver, gold and lead mines that possessed leaded Mende in rapid development and from the 6th century BC was one of the cities that controlled trade routes in the coast of Thrace with confirmed dealings even to the Greek colonies in Italy, specially cause the exports of the famous local wine Mendaeos oinos.
During the 5th century, Mende became one of the most important allies to Athens by participating in the Delian League paying a tax that varied from six up to fifteen Attic talents per year. However, in 423 managed to acquire its sovereign, nevertheless this situation did not last long for the Athenians quickly suppressed the revolt (Thuc. iv. 121). During the Peloponnesian War, Mende, Toroni and Skione were the main goals of the two combattants, Athenians and Spartans, in the area, specially after Brasidas,the Spartan general, raised an army of allies and helots and went for the sources of Athenian power in north Greece in 424. After the end of the war, Mende reacquired its independence.
The city tried to avoid Olynthian rule in the 4th century, when the Chalkidician League was established and later the Macedonian hegemony, but in 315 its population, among with other Chalkidicians, was forced to resettle in Cassandreia, after this new city was built were Poteidaea stood by king Cassander.
In Mende was born the sculptor Paeonius who made the statue of Nike which was put on top of the victory pillar in Olympia, and is presented in the Museum of Olympia.
Topography - Archaeology
The location of Mende was identified with the area of the modern town of Kalandra by William Martin Leake already from 1835 but systematic excavational research was condacted from 1986 to 1994 by the XVI Ephorate of Classical Antiquities.
The main archaeological area covers a range of 1200 to 600 meters and lies to the open and flat place of a hill by the sea, that sequential periods of inhabitation from the 9th to the 4th century were revealed. The acropolis of the city is located to the south uppermost point of the hill, where large storage buildings among with pottery dated from the 11th to the 4th century, were found.
The Proasteion (Suburb) of the city, which is also mentioned by Thucydides, occupies the waterfront area between the beach and the hill of the main city, were the harbour was located. Excavations revealed part of the main avenue, paved with pebbles, along with foundations of builtings with storage pottery, possibly shops or harbour buildings.
The Necropolis of the settlement was found south of the city, near a modern hotel. Excavations were made in 241 tombs and revealed mostly burials of children inside engraved ceramic vases.
Those excavations are consindered important mainly because they proved that a heavy Euboean influenced settlement was established already from the 11th century.