Читать книгу The Herodotus Encyclopedia - Группа авторов - Страница 41

CHRISTOPHER BARON

University of Notre Dame

City near the narrowest point of the ATHOS (Acte) peninsula of Chalcidice (BA 51 B4). Acanthus was a seventh‐century BCE colony of ANDROS and quickly developed into an important city in the northern AEGEAN region (Tiverios 2008, 52–60).

After subjecting THASOS and MACEDONIA with a large force in 492, the Persian general MARDONIUS briefly rested at Acanthus. Setting out from here, his fleet lost 300 ships in a storm while rounding Mt. Athos (6.43–44). When XERXES launched his expedition against Greece a decade later, recalling Mardonius’ DISASTER, he appointed two Persians, BUBARES and ARTACHAEES, to oversee the digging of a CANAL near Acanthus (7.22–23). Upon his arrival at Acanthus in 480, Xerxes declared the inhabitants his guest‐friends and provided them with gifts of Median clothing, praising them for their work on the canal (7.116). Artachaees died during this visit, much to Xerxes’ dismay, and Herodotus reports that the Acanthians in his day still offered the canal‐overseer cult honors (7.117). After the PERSIAN WARS, Acanthus became a member of the DELIAN LEAGUE, loyal to ATHENS until 424 BCE (Thuc. 4.84–88).

SEE ALSO: Chalcidians in Thrace; Dress; Guest‐friendship; Heroes and Hero Cult