Assa (Chalcidice)

Assa (Ancient Greek: Ἄσσα), also known as Assera (Ἄσσηρα),[1] was a town of Chalcidice, in ancient Macedonia, on the Singitic Gulf.

It is cited by Herodotus as one of the cities—together with Pilorus, Singus and Sarte—located near Mount Athos which Xerxes ordered to open a channel through which his fleet passed, and from which he recruited troops in his expedition of the year 480 BCE against Greece.[2]

It belonged to the Delian League since it appears in the tribute registry of Athens from 454/3 to 433/2 BCE.[3]

Pliny the Elder calls the town Cassera,[4] and its territory was called Assyrytis (Ἀσσυρῦτις) by Aristotle.[5] Here was a river which was called the Psychrus or Psychros (Ψυχρός), from its coldness.[5] It was also known by the name Asseros.[6]

Its site is tentatively located near modern Pergadikia.[6][7]

References

1. Stephanus of Byzantium. Ethnica. s.v.
2. Herodotus. Histories. 7.122.
3. Mogens Herman Hansen & Thomas Heine Nielsen (2004). "Thrace from Axios to Strymon". An inventory of archaic and classical poleis. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 826. ISBN 0-19-814099-1.
4. Pliny. Naturalis Historia. 4.10.
5. Aristotle, Hist. An. 3.12
6. Richard Talbert, ed. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. p. 51, and directory notes accompanying.
7. Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Assa". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.