Chalkida History, Greece

Chalkida or Chalcis is a city located on the western part of Euboea in Greece. In the 8th and 7th centuries Before Christ, Chalkida became the motherland of colonizers who discovered several cities in the Mediterranean. It also became a part of Rome in the 6th century. Here are some pertinent facts you need to know about Chalkida History.

Chalkida History – Ancient Greece

Iliad is the first documented reference of Chalkida. As it was mentioned earlier, Chalkida colonizers established 30 townships in places found at the Mediterranean including some cities in Sicily, Italy. Chalkida products and crafts like pots and metal works were disseminated all over the Mediterranen.

During that time, Corinth and Samos were the biggest allies of Chalkida. The three went to war against Eretria, a neighboring city and the best agricultural region. This war was known as the Lelantine War. When Chalkida won, it became the principal city of the island. The city went to war against the Athenians in the 6th century BC and shortly after that, became a member of the Delian League – an association of Greek city-states under the rule of Athens.

Chalkida proved to be important during the Hellenistic period, as it became a citadel of Macedonian monarchs who controlled central Greece. Some of these rulers used the city as a base for attacking the Meditarranean country.

Chalkida History – Roman Period

When the Romans took over Chalkida, the city had once again gained some mercantile affluence. In the 6th century, Chalkida was used as a fortress to defend central Greece from some northern aggressors. Venetian rulers occupied the place starting in the year 1209 and it was handed over to the Ottoman rule in 1470. In 1688, Chalkida was successful in the defense against Venetian aggressions on the city.

Chalkida History – Modern Era

A remarkable turn in Chalkida History happened when it was named chief capital of Euboea in 1899. In 1904, the city was able to develop its trade with overseas cities and towns because of the construction of a railway connecting it to Athens and Peiraeus (two Greek cities). At the time, the city was divided into two: Castro (an old town surrounded with walls and inhabited by people of Jewish and Turkish descent); and a progressive community found outside the first part (most of its residents are Greeks). Castro experienced an earthquake earlier, in 1894, which shook down houses.

At the beginning of the New Millennium, it was noted that Chalkida had roughly 100,000 residents. These statistics is pretty low compared to other cities similar to Chalkida. At present, the government of the city is aiming to preserve the history and culture of the place while at the same time modernizing it just like one of the closest cities in Greece, Thira.