As
with many of the Greek cities, there are various myths about the
origin of the name Veria. The most popular mythological explanation
is the one suggesting that the name comes from that of the nymph
Veroi, the daughter of Ocean and Thetis, who after being born in the
sea kingdom of her parents started wandering around and was so
enchanted from the region that she chose it as her domicile, and
gave it her name. The traces of Veria are lost deep in time. The
exact date of its founding is not yet known but archaelogists have
excavated the earliest European farming settlement, dating to the
6th or 7th millenium B.C., just a few kilometers outside the town,
therefore making it safe to assume that it could in fact be one of
the oldest towns on Earth. The oldest verified reference to Veria is
the first book of Thucydides' History where it is mentioned that the
Atheneans, while on an expedition against Halkidiki, tried to
conquer the town, without success. Throughout the 2,500 years of its
history it has been one of the main commercial, cultural and
administrative centers of Macedonia.
As
with many of the Greek cities, there are various myths about the
origin of the name Veria. The most popular mythological explanation
is the one suggesting that the name comes from that of the nymph
Veroi, the daughter of Ocean and Thetis, who after being born in the
sea kingdom of her parents started wandering around and was so
enchanted from the region that she chose it as her domicile, and
gave it her name. The traces of Veria are lost deep in time. The
exact date of its founding is not yet known but archaelogists have
excavated the earliest European farming settlement, dating to the
6th or 7th millenium B.C., just a few kilometers outside the town,
therefore making it safe to assume that it could in fact be one of
the oldest towns on Earth. The oldest verified reference to Veria is
the first book of Thucydides' History where it is mentioned that the
Atheneans, while on an expedition against Halkidiki, tried to
conquer the town, without success. Throughout the 2,500 years of its
history it has been one of the main commercial, cultural and
administrative centers of Macedonia.