Possidi

History

Mende was probably built during the 9th century BC by Eretrian colonists. The city owes its name to the plant minthe, a species of mint that still sprouts in the area. The large quantities of lumber that produced, the silver, gold and lead mines that possessed led Mende in rapid development and from the 6th century BC was one of the cities that controlled trade routes in the coast of Thrace with confirmed dealings even to the Greek colonies in Italy, specially cause the exports of the famous local wine Mendaeos oinos.

During the 5th century, Mende became one of the most important allies to Athens by participating in the Delian League paying a tax that varied from six up to fifteen Attic talents per year. However, in 423 managed to acquire its sovereign, nevertheless this situation did not last long for the Athenians quickly suppressed the revolt (Thuc. iv. 121). During the Peloponnesian War, Mende, Toroni and Skione were the main goals of the two combattants, Athenians and Spartans, in the area, specially after Brasidas, 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 reacquired its independence.

The city tried to avoid Olynthian rule in the 4th century, when the Chalkidician League was established and later the Macedonian hegemony, but in 315 its population, among with other Chalkidicians, was forced to resettle in Cassandreia, after this new city was built were Poteidaea stood by king Cassander.

In Mende was born the sculptor Paeonius who made the statue of Nike which was put on top of the victory pillar in Olympia, and is presented in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

Αrchaeology

The location of Mende was identified with the area of the modern town of Kalandra by William Martin Leake already from 1835 but systematic excavational research was conducted from 1986 to 1994 by the XVI Ephorate of Classical Antiquities.