Chalcis

Chalcis (/ˈkælsᵻs/;Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: Χαλκίς, Chalkís) or Chalkida (Modern Greek: Χαλκίδα, [xalˈciða]) is the chief town of the island of Euboea in Greece, is situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from antiquity and is derived from the Greek χαλκός (copper, bronze), though there is no trace of any mines in the area. In the late Middle Ages, it was known as Negropont (Italian: Negroponte, "black bridge"), a name that was applied to the entire island of Euboea as well. Its people are known in English as Chalcidians.

History

Ancient Greece

The earliest recorded mention of Chalcis is in the Iliad (2.537), where it is mentioned in the same line as its rival Eretria. It is also documented that the ships set for the Trojan War gathered at Avlis, the south bank of the strait nearby the city. Chamber tombs at Trypa and Vromousa dated to the Mycenaean period were excavated by Papavasiliou in 1910. In the 8th and 7th centuries BC, colonists from Chalcis founded thirty townships on the peninsula of Chalcidice and several important cities in Magna Graecia, such as Naxos, Rhegion and Cumae. Its mineral produce, metal-work, purple and pottery not only found markets among these settlements, but were distributed over the Mediterranean in the ships of Corinth and Samos.

Callias of Chalcis

Callias of Chalcis (Greek: Kαλλίας; fl. 4th century BC), son of Mnesarchus, together with his brother Taurosthenes, succeeded his father as tyrants of Chalcis. Callias formed an alliance with Philip of Macedon against Plutarch, tyrant of Eretria, with the view of extending his authority over the whole of Euboea, a design which, according to Aeschines, he disguised as a plan for uniting in one league the states of the island and establishing a general Euboean congress based at Chalcis.

In response to the threat from Callias, Plutarch sought aid from Athens, which was granted in opposition to the advice of Demosthenes. An army was sent into Euboea under the command of Phocion, who defeated Callias at Tamynae in 350 BC.

After the defeat at Tamynae, Callias went to the Macedonian court, where for some time he had been held in high regard by Philip. However, having in some way offended the Macedonian king, Callias travelled to Thebes, in the hope of gaining their support.

After also falling out with the Thebans and fearing an attack both from them and from Philip, he sought the support of Athens and, through the influence of Demosthenes, not only obtained an alliance and an acknowledgement of the independence of Chalcis, but even persuaded the Athenians to transfer to Chalcis the annual contributions from Oreus and Eretria. In return, Callias promised (apparently never realized) assistance in men and money from Achaea, Megara, and Euboea. Callias' actions seemed to have taken place in 343 BC, at the time of Philip's planned attempt to take Ambracia.