Anthemus or Anthemous (), also known as Anthemuntus or Anthemountos (Ἀνθεμοῦντος), was a town of

ancient Macedonia Macedonia ( ; , ), also called Macedon ( ), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, which later became the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by the royal ...

of some importance, belonging to the early Macedonian monarchy. It appears to have stood southeast of

Thessalonica Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area) and the capital city, capital of the geographic reg ...

and north of

Chalcidice Chalkidiki (; , alternatively Halkidiki), also known as Chalcidice, is a peninsula and regional units of Greece, regional unit of Greece, part of the region of Central Macedonia, in the Geographic regions of Greece, geographic region of Macedon ...

, since we learn from

Thucydides Thucydides ( ; ; BC) was an Classical Athens, Athenian historian and general. His ''History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts Peloponnesian War, the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been d ...

that its territory bordered upon

Bisaltia Bisaltia () or Bisaltica was an ancient country which was bordered by Sintice on the north, Crestonia on the west, Mygdonia on the south and was separated by Odomantis on the north-east and Edonis on the south-east by river Strymon.The eponymo ...

Crestonia Crestonia (or Crestonice) () was an ancient region immediately north of Mygdonia. The Echeidorus river, which flowed through Mygdonia into the Thermaic Gulf, had its source in Crestonia. It was partly occupied by a remnant of the Pelasgi, who spo ...

and

Mygdonia Mygdonia (; ) was an ancient territory, part of ancient Thrace, later conquered by Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon, which comprised the plains around Therma (Thessalonica) together with the valleys of Klisali and Besikia, including the ar ...

. The territory of the town is first mentioned when

Amyntas I of Macedon Amyntas I () was king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from at least 512/511 until his death in 498/497 BC. Although there were a number of rulers before him, Amyntas is the first king of Macedonia for which we have any reliable historic ...

offered it to

Hippias Hippias of Elis (; ; late 5th century BC) was a Greek sophist, and a contemporary of Socrates. With an assurance characteristic of the later sophists, he claimed to be regarded as an authority on all subjects, and lectured on poetry, grammar, his ...

, the son of Athenian tyrant

Pisistratus Pisistratus (also spelled Peisistratus or Peisistratos; ; – 527 BC) was a politician in ancient Athens, ruling as tyrant in the late 560s, the early 550s and from 546 BC until his death. His unification of Attica, the triangular p ...

. Hippias refused it, as well as a similar offer from the Thessalians for

Iolcos Iolcus (; also rendered ''Iolkos'' ; and Ἰαωλκός; ; ) is an ancient city, a modern village and a former municipality in Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of Volos, of which it is a municipal un ...

, suggesting that Amyntas probably did not possess Anthemous at that time. It is likely that Amyntas was merely suggesting a plan of joint occupation to Hippias. It was given by

Philip of Macedon Philip II of Macedon (; 382 BC – October 336 BC) was the king (''basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ancient kingdom, and the fat ...

to the Olynthians.

Peroidas Peroidas or Peroedas (), son of Menestheus, was hipparch of the ile of Hetairoi from Anthemus from the beginning of the campaign of Alexander the Great. At the Battle of Issus, his squadron was transferred, along with that of Pantordanus, from t ...

commanded the cavalry squadron of Hetairoi from Anthemus in the campaign of Alexander. Like some of the other chief cities in Macedonia, it gave its name to a town in Asia. It continued to be mentioned by writers under the Roman empire. There was also a district, river, and lake named after the city. The river's modern name is Vasilikotikos. The site of Anthemus is located near modern Galatista.

References

* Hazlitt, The Classical Gazetteer > page 36 *

Herodotus Herodotus (; BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey), under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the '' Histori ...

V, 94 *Macedonian Institutions Under the Kings: A historical and epigraphic study - Page 174 by Miltiades V. Chatzopoulos Geography of ancient Chalcidice Geography of ancient Mygdonia Cities in ancient Macedonia Populated places in ancient Macedonia Former populated places in Greece {{AncientMygdonia-geo-stub