Welcome, Laure!

On Monday, the Institute’s Elisabeth Alföldi-Rosenbaum Fellow for the 2020-2021 academic year, Laure Sarah Ethier, arrived in Athens. Ms. Ethier had been carrying out research in northern Greece since the start of her Fellowship in early September.

Laure is a PhD candidate in History at the University of Montreal, under the supervision of the Institute’s Director, Professor Jacques Y. Perreault. Her thesis, entitled “Argilos, de la conquête macédonienne à sa dernière phase d’occupation: une citée en mutation”, consists of an archaeological and historical study of the city of Argilos in northern Greece, from 357 BC (date of conquest of the city by Philip II), until its final abandonment, which has been dated to the second century BC.

Following the Macedonian conquest, it is generally accepted that the site was abandoned and its inhabitants moved to Amphipolis. Only the Acropolis remained inhabited, evidenced by the construction of a large agrarian-style mansion, containing a remarkable olive press. Most likely granted by Philip II to one of his trusted companions (hetairoi) as a reward, this land donation would have served above all to ensure loyalty and control of the kingdom in the absence of its king. Despite the overall outline of the history of Argilos being known today, this phase of occupation of the site and the associated archaeological material have never been the subject of an exhaustive study and still raise many questions.

While in Greece this year, Ms. Ethier wishes, first, to answer questions relating to the duration of the reoccupation of the site after its conquest and the reasons justifying its definitive abandonment. And, second, to highlight the economic and political dynamics and the role of Argilos in the network of communication and exchange during the Hellenistic period. In order to accomplish these objectives, a study of the rich Hellenistic archaeological material of Argilos will be carried out. This project will help fill several gaps in our knowledge of the history of Argilos and the entire Lower Strymon region in the years following the conquest of Philip II.

Jonathan Tomlinson
Assistant Director