Ancient Akanthos

It was a colony of Andros town, built around 650 BC, one of the largest and richest colonies in Halkidiki and the most powerful port area, with its own currency (one of the most beautiful of his era ). Residents joined forces with the Persian army. In 199 BC Romans sacked the city. At some point, the Romans were the only residents. They named the city Ericius (Erisou). The name later became Ierissos.H city of ancient Acanthus was built on the hills, covering an area of ​​140 acres. In the ruins, visitors can see the traces of the walls and the houses of the city. A public building with two wells, two marble openings excavated in the middle of the settlement. The excavation work in the area began almost 25 years ago in the city cemetery. Today, the village of Ierissos is located right above it. More than 9,000 graves of Hellenistic excavated. Most finds are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros.