Ancient Greek city states
Olynthos
Olynthos is an ancient Greek city located on the Greek peninsula of Chalkidiki.
The town of Olynthos is situated on the peninsula of Chalkidiki, on two hills, one of which is the ruins of the ancient city and the other is the modern city. The river of the same name, Olynthios, also flows nearby. Both the river and the town get their names from the Greek "olunthos", the fruit of the wild fig tree.
The town of Olynthos has been inhabited since the 7th century BC (southern hill). In 479 BC it was destroyed by Persian troops. Then the reconstruction of the city itself began. In 432 BC, the second, northern hill was also settled, where the city was built according to the Hippodamus system and was surrounded by walls. The city was very rich.
When the power of the Macedonian king Philip II began to grow, the city refused to submit to him. This fact is described in three speeches by Demosthenes in which he urged the Athenians to give aid to Olynthus. Subsequently (348 BC), however, the city succumbed to the Macedonians when it was razed and burned.