Stagira(/stəˈdʒaɪrə/),Stagirus(/-rəs/), orStageira(Greek:ΣτάγειραorΣτάγειρος) was anancient Greek citylocated near the eastern coast of thepeninsulaofChalkidice,which is now part of the Greek province ofCentral Macedonia.It is chiefly known for being the birthplace ofAristotle,theGreek philosopherand polymath, student ofPlato,and teacher ofAlexander the Great.The ruins of the city lie approximately 18 kilometres (11 mi) northeast of the present-day village ofStagira,and adjacent to the town ofOlympiada.
 Remains of the town wall of Stagira | |
  Shown within Greece | |
| Alternative name | Stageira |
|---|---|
| Location | Olimpiada,Central Macedonia,Greece |
| Coordinates | 40°35′30″N23°47′41″E/ 40.59167°N 23.79472°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Builder | Ioniansettlers fromAndros |
| Founded | 655 BC |
| Associated with | Aristotle |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Ownership | Public |
| Management | 16th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities |
| Public access | Yes |
| Website | Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism |
History
editStagira was founded in 655 BC byIoniansettlers fromAndros.[1]Xerxes I of Persiaoccupied it in 480 BC. The city later joined theDelian League,led byAthens,but left in 424 BC: as a result, the AtheniandemagogueCleon laidsiegeto it in 422 BC. However,Cleonwas a poor strategist and his conduct of the siege was very inefficient: so much so that the ancient GreekcomedywriterAristophanessatirisedhim in the playThe Knights.[2]Cleon died in the same year, in thebattle of Amphipolis.Later, during thePeloponnesian War,Stagira sided withSpartaagainst theAthenians.[1]
In 348 BC,Philip II of Macedonoccupied and destroyed the city.[1]In return for Aristotle's tutoring of his sonAlexander,Philip later rebuilt the city and resettled the old city's inhabitants.[3]Many new structures were built at this time, including anaqueduct,twoshrinestoDemeter,and many houses.
Tradition has it that the natives of Stageira transferred Aristotle's relics to the city, buried it there, and founded a festival in his honour which was called "Aristoteleia".[1]
Much later, the Danish archaeologistKarl Frederik Kinchmade several explorations of Chalkidiki in 1886, and he identified the site of Stagira based on ancient descriptions of it.[4]
Notable people
edit- Aristotle,philosopher
- Hipparchus(Ἵππαρχος), philosopher, acquaintance and kin of Aristotle[5]
- Nicomachus,father of Aristotle and doctor
- Arimneste,sister of Aristotle
- Nicomachus,son of Aristotle and philosopher
- Herpyllis,second wife of Aristotle and the mother of Nicomachus
- Nicanor of Stageira
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abcd"Ancient stageira Halkidiki Greece".Travel-to-halkidiki.com.Retrieved18 July2017.
- ^"The Internet Classics Archive | The Knights by Aristophanes".Classics.mit.edu.Retrieved18 July2017.
- ^"Municipality of Aristotle – Travel Guide"(PDF).Aristotelis Municipality.2011.Archived(PDF)from the original on 4 April 2023.
- ^Bro, Thyge C.; Westergård-Nielsen, Nanna (25 February 2024).Makedonien – Europas første stormagt[Macedonia: Europe's first great power] (in Danish). Aarhus University Press. pp. 227–229.ISBN9788771847451.OCLC1328220687.
- ^Suda, iota.520
Further reading
edit- Daniel Vainstub, "A Phoenician Votive Inscription on a Figurine from Stageira and the Root ṬNʾ",inA. Lemaire(ed.),Phéniciens d'Orient et d'Occident. Mélanges Josette Elayi,Cahiers de l'Institut du Proche-Orient Ancien du Collège de France 2, Paris, 2014, pp. 345–350
External links
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