Editing Mount Athos (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Athos - from NW.jpg|thumb|290px|Mount Athos seen from the northwest]]

The peninsula, the easternmost "leg" of the larger [[Chalkidiki]] peninsula in central [[Greek Macedonia|Macedonia]], protrudes {{cvt|50|km|mi|0}}<ref name="Draper">Robert Draper, [http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/athos/draper-text "Mount Athos"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811023226/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/athos/draper-text |date=11 August 2011 }}, ''National Geographic'' magazine, December 2009</ref> into the [[Aegean Sea]] at a width of between {{cvt|7|and|12|km|mi}} and covers an area of {{cvt|335.6|km2|sqmi|0}}. The actual Mount Athos has steep, densely forested slopes reaching up to {{cvt|2033|m|ft|0}}. The Athos peninsula, unlike [[Sithonia]] and [[Kassandra, Chalkidiki|Kassandra]], is a geological continuation of the [[Rhodope Mountains]] of northern Greece and Bulgaria.<ref>{{cite book |last=Speake |first=Graham |title=Mount Athos: renewal in paradise |publication-place=Limni, Evia, Greece |date=2014 |edition=2nd |isbn=978-960-7120-34-2 |oclc=903320491 |page=32}}</ref>

The surrounding seas, especially at the end of the peninsula, can be dangerous. In ancient Greek history, two fleet disasters in the area are recorded: Herodotus claimed that in 492 BC, [[Darius the Great|Darius]], the king of [[Persia]], lost 300 ships under general [[Mardonius (general)|Mardonius]].<ref>[[Herodotus]], ''Histories'', book VI ("Erato"); [[Aeschylus]], ''The Persians''.</ref> In 411 BC the [[Sparta]]ns lost a fleet of 50 ships under the admiral Epicleas.<ref>[[Diodorus Siculus]], ''Bibliotheca historica'' XIII 41, 1–3.</ref>

Mount Athos has an extensive [[footpaths of Mount Athos|network of footpaths]], many of which date back to the [[Byzantine period]]. Many are typically not accessible to motor vehicle traffic.<ref name="FOMA 2019">{{cite web |title=Footpaths of the Holy Mountain – FOMA |website=FOMA |date=2019-01-06 |url=https://athosfriends.org/visiting/clear-the-footpaths |access-date=2022-06-16 |archive-date=16 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616203905/https://athosfriends.org/visiting/clear-the-footpaths/ |url-status=live }}</ref>