OLYNTHOS (Code: )

Olynthos, the most important cultural centre in Chalkidiki during the Classical period, was built in an area that was first inhabited during the Late  Neolithic period (3000-2500 BC). It was the leading city of the Bottiaians from the 7th c. BC until its destruction by the Persians in 479 BC, when  it passed into the hand of the Chalkideans. From 432 BC, Olynthos was the seat of an alliance of 32 cities in Chalkidiki, and for a century played a leading role in the political life of the region before being comprehensively destroyed by Philip II in 348 BC.