Mende (Ancient Greek:Μένδη), alsoMendae orMendai (Μένδαι),[1] orMenda (Μένδα),[2] orMendis,[3] was an ancient Greek city located on the western coast of thePallene peninsula inChalkidiki, facing the coast ofPieria across the narrowThermaic Gulf and near the modern town ofKalandra.
| Coin from Mende depicting Silenus | |
|---|---|
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| Obv: InebriatedSilenus reclining on adonkey, holdingkantharos with wine | Rev: Vine of four grape clusters within shallow linear incuse square, MENΔAIΩN,of Mendians |
| Silvertetradrachm from Mende, 460–423 BC | |
Mende was probably built during the 9th century BC byEretrian colonists. The city owes its name to theminthe plant, a species ofmint that still sprouts in the area. Mende's abundant lumber resources and possession of silver, gold and lead mines led to its rapid development. From the 6th century BC, it was one of the cities that controlled trade routes along the coast ofThrace; there were even confirmed dealings with the Greek colonies inItaly, especially concerning the export of the famous local wineMendaeos oinos.
During the 5th century BC, Mende became one of the most important allies ofAthens and joined theDelian League, paying a tax that varied from six up to fifteenAttic talents per year. However, in 423 BC, it managed to revolt against Athenian rule, a situation that did not last long as the Athenians quickly suppressed the revolt (Thuc. iv. 121). During thePeloponnesian War, Mende,Toroni andSkione were the main regional goals of the two combatants, Athens and Sparta, specially afterBrasidas, 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 regained its independence.
The city tried to avoidOlynthian rule in the 4th century BC, when the Chalkidician League was established; later it tried to avoid rule by theMacedonian hegemony, but in 315 its population, along with other Chalkidicians, was forced to resettle inCassandreia, after this new city was built by kingCassander on the site of the former town ofPoteidaea.
The sculptorPaeonius, who made thestatue ofNike that was put on top of the victory pillar inOlympia – and is shown in theArchaeological Museum of Olympia – was born in Mende.
TheAntimoerus was an ancient Greek sophist from Mende.
The location of Mende was identified with the area of the modern town of Kalandra byWilliam Martin Leake in 1835. Systematic excavational research was conducted from 1986 to 1994 by the XVI Ephorate of Classical Antiquities.
The main archaeological area covers an area of 1,200 metres (1,300 yd) by 600 metres (660 yd) and lies to the open and flat place of a hill by the sea. It was continuously inhabited from the 9th to the 4th century. Theacropolis 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.
TheProasteion (Suburb) of the city, which is also mentioned byThucydides, occupied the waterfront area between the beach and the hill of the main city, where the harbour was located. Excavations revealed part of the main avenue, paved with pebbles, along with foundations of buildings with storage pottery, possibly shops or harbour buildings.
The settlement'sNecropolis was found south of the city, near a modern hotel. Excavations were made in 241 tombs that mainly revealed burials of children inside engravedceramicvases.
Those excavations are considered important mainly because they proved that a heavyEuboean influenced settlement was established already from the 11th century.
39°58′29″N23°24′02″E / 39.9747°N 23.4006°E /39.9747; 23.4006