The area of Amyntaio has been inhabited since antiquity. It takes its name from King Amyntas III of Macedon, father of Philip II and grandfather of Alexander the Great. Important archaeological sites surround the town, most notably the ancient settlement at Petres Lake, a flourishing Hellenistic town.
Modern Amyntaio (formerly Sorovits) grew rapidly after 1894, when the Thessaloniki–Monastir railway made it a regional junction. The town played a notable role in the Macedonian Struggle and the Balkan Wars, and was the site of significant battles in 1912.
Throughout the 20th century the plateau developed into a centre of viticulture, agriculture and lignite mining — and today reinvents itself around clean energy, wine and lakeside tourism.
