Archaeological excavations have revealed that the area around Greece’s second largest city was first inhabited during the late neolithic, around 6000-5000 BC with the largest settlement being at Thermi. Thessaloniki, however, was actually born in 316/15 BC. Cassander, one of Alexander the Great’s generals gave the city its new name not only in order to pay tribute to Philip of Macedon’s victory over the Thessalian Greeks, but also to honour his own wife, Thessaloniki, Philip’s daughter and Alexander’s half-sister. From then on, Thessaloniki comprised the 26 small settlements in the area around the Thermaic Gulf, becoming the naval base of the Kingdom of Macedonia and an important commercial center with its own currency.