Scione, the Ancient City Founded by Greek Warriors After the Trojan War

A fifth-century BCE coin from Scione, depicting Protesilaus, a leader from the Trojan War. Credit: Wikimedia Commons, CNG, CC-BY 3.0

The ancient Greek metropolis of Scione is simply a comparatively insignificant site, but it has a fascinating past connected to legendary events aft the Trojan War. Ancient sources picture however Greek soldiers founded Scione connected their mode backmost to Greece aft the fall of Troy. What are the sources for this legendary history, and does it person immoderate basis?

The past Greek metropolis of Scione

First, what bash we cognize for definite astir Scione? It does not beryllium today, but it is lone 2 miles from modern-day Nea Skioni, whose sanction comes from the aged city. This is connected the Kassandra peninsula successful Chalkidiki, Macedonia, Greece.

Scione was a subordinate of the Delian League, a confederation of hundreds of Greek city-states led by Athens successful the 5th period BCE. The intent of the league was to reason the Persian Empire.

However, this confederation with Athens did not past long. In 423 BCE, Scione rebelled against Athens. The Athenians went to warfare against the city. Just 2 years later, successful 421 BCE, Athens defeated Scione. The demolition was total. All the men were enactment to death, portion the women and children were enslaved.

The legendary founding of Scione aft the Trojan War

One of our main sources for the demolition of Scione is the humanities relationship of Thucydides. He was an important historiographer successful the 5th period BCE. Thucydides besides explains its past and provides an relationship of its destruction.

It occupies lone a little information of his relationship of the city. Nonetheless, Thucydides provides america with invaluable information. He wrote:

“The Scionaeans accidental that they are Pallenians from Peloponnese, and that their archetypal founders connected their voyage from Troy were carried successful to this spot by the tempest which the Achaeans were caught successful and determination settled.”

According to this little record, Scione was founded by Achaeans, oregon Greeks, from Pallene successful the Peloponnese. This is meant to beryllium the root of the identically-named Pallene successful the Kassandra Peninsula, wherever Scione is located.

The Pallene successful the Peloponnese was a deme, oregon suburb, of the city-state of Athens. Hence, the founders of Scione were allegedly Athenians.

How the Trojan War led to Scione’s founding

Bronze Age walls of Troy VI. Credit: Wikipedia Commons, cc-by-sa 3.0

What has the Trojan War got to bash with the founding of Scione? Simply put, the warfare was allegedly the crushed for its founding. After all, Athens is precise acold from Scione, each the mode implicit successful bluish Greece. What would motivate Athenians to found a colony that acold from their home?

According to Thucydides, this lawsuit occurred “on their voyage from Troy.” This references the Athenian service returning to Greece aft warring successful the Trojan War. This explains the large region betwixt Athens and Scione.

The Athenians had travelled to Troy, successful northwest Anatolia, and then, during their instrumentality trip, immoderate of them had been pushed by a tempest to the Kassandra peninsula, which is conscionable disconnected the logical way backmost to Athens from Troy.

This fable astir the founding of Scione ties successful good with galore different legends of the gods punishing the Greeks aft the Trojan War. Due to the Greeks engaging successful ungodly acts during the sacking of Troy, the gods cursed the efforts of galore of them to instrumentality home.

Thucydides does not accidental whether the tempest that carried the Athenians to the Kassandra peninsula was a punishment from the gods oregon not. Nevertheless, this fable is wholly accordant with others astir the aftermath of the Trojan War.

The humanities founding of Scione

How does this fable astir the aftermath of the Trojan War necktie successful to the humanities facts astir the founding of Scione? According to historian Konstantinos Moustakas successful the book Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece,

“Chalkidiki archetypal entered Greek past successful the 8th period BC with the founding of the archetypal Greek colonies.”

In enactment with this, immoderate different sources spot Scione’s founding successful c. 700 BCE. The Greeks who archetypal started settling Chalkidiki were Euboeans. The land of Euboea is rather adjacent to Athens. Interestingly, legends of the Trojan War hint astatine the adjacent relation betwixt Athens and Euboea.

Elephenor was the king of Euboea during the Trojan War. According to respective sources, helium received Demophon, the lad and heir of Theseus of Athens. Therefore, portion Greek past does not corroborate the legend, determination whitethorn beryllium immoderate information to Athenian engagement successful the founding of Scione, successful a portion wherever the Euboeans chiefly settled.

The astir important quality betwixt the fable and the verifiable facts is that the accepted day for the Trojan War would spot Scione’s founding successful the twelfth period BCE, galore centuries earlier the humanities founding of Scione.

However, it is worthy noting that immoderate modern scholars, specified arsenic Greek historiographer Nikos Kokkinos, person argued that the Trojan War occurred much much precocious than the accepted date. This is supported by scholars specified arsenic Professor Mark Morford and Professor Robert J Lenardon.

If this aboriginal day for the Trojan War is correct, past possibly Scione truly was founded not excessively agelong aft the war.