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Amphipolis was an Athenian
ally until captured by the Spartans. Throughout the 5th century, Athens sought
to consolidate its control over Thrace, which was strategically important
because of its primary materials (the gold and silver of the Pangaion hills and
the dense forests essential for naval construction), and the sea routes vital
for Athens' supply of grain from Scythia. After a first unsuccessful attempt at
colonisation in 497 by the Milesian TyrantHistiaeus, the
Athenians founded a colony 465, but these first ten thousand colonists were
massacred by the Thracians. A successful colony was established in 437 by Hagnon, at which time the city
walls were constructed. The new settlement took the name of Amphipolis. It was
the main Athenian base in Thrace. But the Athenian colonists were a minority in
the city. For this reason Amphipolis remained an independent city and an ally
of the Athenians, rather than a colony or member of the Athens-led
Delian League. In
424 the Spartan general
Brasidas easily took control of the city by popular vote. Thucydides, then
commanding a nearby Athenian fleet was late in arriving to retake the city, for
which he was exiled. He only retained
Eion, located closer to the
coast. In 422 Cleon commanded
another Athenian force during the Battle of
Amphipolis at
which both Cleon and Brasidas were killed. Alexander the Great honored the city
by bulding large temples. He used the city as his base for invading Asia Minor
(Persian empire) and also the place where Alexander the Great prepared for
campaigns leading to his invasion of Asia. Alexander's three finest admirals,
Nearchus, Androsthenes and Laomedon, resided in Amphipolis, which is also the
place where, after Alexander's death, his wife Roxana and their small son
Alexander IV were exiled and later murdered
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