Nea Roda
Encyclopedia
Nea Roda is a village located 115 km southeast of Thessaloniki
, on the narrowest point of the Athos
peninsula in the municipality
of Stagira-Akanthos
, Chalkidiki Prefecture, Greece
.
, Xerxes
, King of Persia, opened a canal for his fleet to pass through. He did this in order to avoid rounding the edge of Athos
peninsula, where Mardonius saw his fleet being destroyed ten years earlier due to extreme weather conditions. This is the place where the first attempt of the Persians to conquer the Greek cities-states had failed. The canal needed several years to be built and hundreds of residents of the area (mainly Acanthians, since Acanthus
, modern Ierissos, is situated only 5 km away, but also residents of Sani
and Ouranoupolis) were used by Xerxes
as slaves for the completion of the canal. It is commonly regarded as the site of the world's first offshore wind farm.
era to the Hellenistic era and its history is connected with the two ancient cities of the region, Sani
, a colony of Andros
, and Ouranoupolis, a town founded in 315 BC by Alexarchos, brother of Kassandros, King of Macedon
. AT the end of the 6th century, Alexarchos and the inhabitants of Sani
founded the sanctuary outside the towns walls and built it on representation. At the end of the 4th century BC Alexarchos founded Ouranoupolis and integrated the sanctuary to the new town. In his construction programme he includes monuments, the Hellenic
temple, the reconstruction of the archaic house, etc. The sanctuary was deserted in the 3rd century BC. The archaeological research began in 1990 when during the autopsy a post-archaic fleuron crown tile and a vessel were found. In 1990, during trial cuts, parts of the archaic house were traced and of the Hellenic temple. In 1992-1993 the house was excavated while the same year the excavation of the temple began and continued until 1994. In 1995 the excavation was characterized systematically and in 1996 began the excavation of the Hellenic buildings to the south of the temple. The most important buildings include an archaic house which is made up of niche and antetemple on representation. It overhangs on a podium of granite (1m high) and it has limestone walls of which their external face is decorated with cellated theme. The most interesting finding of the building was the Corinthian
clay tiles of the roof and the capes. The Hellenic temple consists of an antetemple with a cover and niche with three entrances, a build desk along the east wall, a bank for bloodless offerings and in the center a pile of stone with traces of fire. In the antetemple a marble head of the Sun and a marble head of a girl were found.http://www.gohalkidiki.com/en/history/arxaia/nroda.asp
, tourism
and agriculture
are the people’s main occupations.
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, on the narrowest point of the Athos
Athos
Athos may refer to:* Athos , one of the Gigantes in Greek mythologyAthos may also refer to:-Places:* Athos, a village in France, part of the commune Athos-Aspis...
peninsula in the municipality
Communities and Municipalities of Greece
For the new municipalities of Greece see the Kallikratis ProgrammeThe municipalities and communities of Greece are one of several levels of government within the organizational structure of that country. Thirteen regions called peripheries form the largest unit of government beneath the State. ...
of Stagira-Akanthos
Stagira-Akanthos
Stagira-Akanthos is a former municipality in Chalkidiki, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Aristotelis, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 8,781 . The seat of the former municipality was in Ierissos, which is also the seat of the municipality...
, Chalkidiki Prefecture, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Ancient history
In 480 BC480 BC
Year 480 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vibulanus and Cincinnatus...
, Xerxes
Xerxes I of Persia
Xerxes I of Persia , Ḫšayāršā, ), also known as Xerxes the Great, was the fifth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire.-Youth and rise to power:...
, King of Persia, opened a canal for his fleet to pass through. He did this in order to avoid rounding the edge of Athos
Athos
Athos may refer to:* Athos , one of the Gigantes in Greek mythologyAthos may also refer to:-Places:* Athos, a village in France, part of the commune Athos-Aspis...
peninsula, where Mardonius saw his fleet being destroyed ten years earlier due to extreme weather conditions. This is the place where the first attempt of the Persians to conquer the Greek cities-states had failed. The canal needed several years to be built and hundreds of residents of the area (mainly Acanthians, since Acanthus
Acanthus (Greece)
Ierissos Modern Greek: or Acanthus was an ancient Greek city on the Athos peninsula. It was located on the north-east side of Akti, on the most eastern peninsula of Chalcidice...
, modern Ierissos, is situated only 5 km away, but also residents of Sani
Sani
Sani may refer to:*Sani Resort, a resort in the peninsula of Halkidiki, Greece*Sani, Greece, a beach community south of Thessalonike*Sani, Mauritania*Sani Pass, pass in the Drakensberg linking Lesotho to South Africa*Shani, in Hindu astrology, Saturn...
and Ouranoupolis) were used by Xerxes
Xerxes I of Persia
Xerxes I of Persia , Ḫšayāršā, ), also known as Xerxes the Great, was the fifth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire.-Youth and rise to power:...
as slaves for the completion of the canal. It is commonly regarded as the site of the world's first offshore wind farm.
Archaeological findings
The sanctuary’s lifetime begins at the late archaicArchaic period in Greece
The Archaic period in Greece was a period of ancient Greek history that followed the Greek Dark Ages. This period saw the rise of the polis and the founding of colonies, as well as the first inklings of classical philosophy, theatre in the form of tragedies performed during Dionysia, and written...
era to the Hellenistic era and its history is connected with the two ancient cities of the region, Sani
Sani
Sani may refer to:*Sani Resort, a resort in the peninsula of Halkidiki, Greece*Sani, Greece, a beach community south of Thessalonike*Sani, Mauritania*Sani Pass, pass in the Drakensberg linking Lesotho to South Africa*Shani, in Hindu astrology, Saturn...
, a colony of Andros
Andros
Andros, or Andro is the northernmost island of the Greek Cyclades archipelago, approximately south east of Euboea, and about north of Tinos. It is nearly long, and its greatest breadth is . Its surface is for the most part mountainous, with many fruitful and well-watered valleys. The area is...
, and Ouranoupolis, a town founded in 315 BC by Alexarchos, brother of Kassandros, King of Macedon
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
. AT the end of the 6th century, Alexarchos and the inhabitants of Sani
Sani
Sani may refer to:*Sani Resort, a resort in the peninsula of Halkidiki, Greece*Sani, Greece, a beach community south of Thessalonike*Sani, Mauritania*Sani Pass, pass in the Drakensberg linking Lesotho to South Africa*Shani, in Hindu astrology, Saturn...
founded the sanctuary outside the towns walls and built it on representation. At the end of the 4th century BC Alexarchos founded Ouranoupolis and integrated the sanctuary to the new town. In his construction programme he includes monuments, the Hellenic
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
temple, the reconstruction of the archaic house, etc. The sanctuary was deserted in the 3rd century BC. The archaeological research began in 1990 when during the autopsy a post-archaic fleuron crown tile and a vessel were found. In 1990, during trial cuts, parts of the archaic house were traced and of the Hellenic temple. In 1992-1993 the house was excavated while the same year the excavation of the temple began and continued until 1994. In 1995 the excavation was characterized systematically and in 1996 began the excavation of the Hellenic buildings to the south of the temple. The most important buildings include an archaic house which is made up of niche and antetemple on representation. It overhangs on a podium of granite (1m high) and it has limestone walls of which their external face is decorated with cellated theme. The most interesting finding of the building was the Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
clay tiles of the roof and the capes. The Hellenic temple consists of an antetemple with a cover and niche with three entrances, a build desk along the east wall, a bank for bloodless offerings and in the center a pile of stone with traces of fire. In the antetemple a marble head of the Sun and a marble head of a girl were found.http://www.gohalkidiki.com/en/history/arxaia/nroda.asp
Today
Today, Nea Roda is a modern village with 1,148 residents (2001 census) http://www.statistics.gr/gr_tables/S1101_SAP_1_TB_DC_01_01_Y.pdf and is the third biggest town of the municipality of Stágira-Ákanthos after Ierissos (3,048 inh.) and Stratónio (1,174 inh.). FishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
are the people’s main occupations.