Polygyros in Chalcidice is in the
news since its Archaeological
Museum has reopened after
being closed for twelve years to upgrade it to today's standards.
Chalcidice is the three-fingered
peninsula just east of Thessaloniki
in Northern Greece, famous for its
exotic beaches and natural landscapes. It is a popular vacation destination for
people from Balkan countries, Austria,
and Germany.
I vividly remember visiting the Museum of Polygyros when I toured around Chalcidice. I was
determined to see the arrowheads from Olynthus (see: Olynthus and its houses), with their unique inscription ΦΙΛΙΠΠO (Philippou),
meaning from Philip. It had taken Philip of Macedonia nearly two
years to conquer Olynthus,
and his army apparently had quite a sense of humor. The siege ended in 348 BC,
after which Philip razed the city to the ground.
Another treasure at the museum is
the surviving part of Philip's treaty
with the Chalcideans. Alarmed by Philip's policy after he occupied Amphipolis
in 357 BC, the Chalcidean allies and the Olynthians concluded a treaty with Philip
against Athens,
who had refused an earlier proposition. To seal their agreement on the treaty's
terms, the two parties solemnly swore by Zeus, Gaia, Helios, and Poseidon. Three copies of this treaty were
made, and the Chalcideans would display theirs at the Temple
of Artemis in Olynthus,
and Philip would do the same in the Temple of Zeus
in Dion. They jointly would exhibit a third copy in Delphi after having it ratified by the
gods.
Strolling further through this small museum, I
discovered several artifacts worth my attention. There was, for instance, a
terracotta Niké from Sane, 6th century BC, a lion
spout from the Temple of Ammon-Zeus in Kallithea, 5th century
BC, and a piece of cornice from an archaic sanctuary in Stagira,
6th century BC. Last but not least, an exciting collection of silver
and copper coins that was unearthed in Stagira,
mainly carrying effigies of Macedonian kings. There were also coins from other
cities like Akanthos (modern Ierissos), Sermyle,
Skione, and Ouranopolis on the Chalcidice, and from more
distant Amphipolis, Pella, Thessaloniki, Corinth,
etc. These treasures may be dwarfed in the museum that has
been enlarged to accommodate an extensive donation of more than one thousand
artifacts. The generous benefactor is Iraklis Lambropoulos, who donated the
collection his father, Ioannis, had gathered in the 1930s. In fact, he gave it
to the Greek State, provided it would be displayed at
the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros.
Today's visitor will see finding from excavations
carried out throughout Chalcidice dating from
the Palaeolithic to the Archaic, Classic, Hellenistic, and Roman eras. Special
attention is drawn to an unfinished kouros, which may have escaped my
attention or is entirely new. Noteworthy is also a marble head of Dionysos from
Aphytos, 4th century BC, two marble grave statues from
the Heroon of Stratoni, 1st century BC, and the artifacts
unearthed in Olynthus and its cemetery.
It is obvious that I should visit this museum the next
time I am in Chalcidice.
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