Archaeology
ThessalonikaThessaloniki, ThessalonicaPlace descriptionThessaloniki was one of the most important ports of Macedonia. Founded by Cassander in 316BC probably on ancient Therme, the city was named after his wife who was also the daughter of Philip II. Its urban layout was characterized by a grid-plan dated back to the time of Cassander. Civic facilities common in Greek cities were also built. In the Roman period, Thessaloniki became the seat of the Roman officials and an important business centre for Italian merchants, due to its strategic location on the via Egnatia. The city continued to be adorned with lavish civic structures. A 2nd and early 3rd century AD agora was built as complement to or a replacement of an older one. An odeion was built there, and it was later converted into an arena for gladiator games. At the south of it, there was a lower square partly surrounded by stoas. The east-west oriented Odos Egnatias served as the chief thoroughfare of the city. Thessaloniki was the home of a major Jewish community, and there should be at least two synagogues in the 3rd century AD. The Pythia, a world class Greek game, was celebrated in the city until the 3rd century AD. According to an inscription, there were also three days of gladiatorial and wild-beast games in AD141. In the mid 3rd century AD, Thessaloniki was invaded by the Goths twice. The invasions initiated the construction of a crude circuit wall. Due to its proximate location to the Roman frontier in Danube, the city served as a military centre in the Balkan region. Thessaloniki subsequently became the imperial capital under Galerius, who constructed a lavish palace-complex in the city. Theodosius I later added a colonnaded courtyard with mosaic and marble floors to Galerius’ palace. The palace was surrounded by other important edifices including the arch of Galerius in the north and a hippodrome in the east. The relief panel of the four-fronted and domed arch depicted Galerius’ victory over the Sassanians in 298AD. The iconographies of the enemy included their Phrygian caps, barbarian trousers, camels and elephants. More importantly, the relief emphasized the joint achievement of the four tetrarchs in the victory. Galerius and Diocletian were flanking an altar together. The arch was located in an important crossroad of Odos Egnatis, with its southern direction to the palace and the northern to the rotunda, which was probably the mausoleum of Galerius but was converted into a church in early 6th century AD. A massive city wall was built by Theodosius I during his campaigns against the Goths between 379 and 395AD. In 441 or 442AD, Thessaloniki became the seat of the praetorian prefect. The city was also an important centre of Christianity, with its earliest establishment in the city by the Apostle Paul in about 50AD. By AD325, archbishops were attested there. Between mid-4th century and 5th century AD, the churches of Avios Dimitrios and Panayia Acheiro-poietos were constructed over earlier Roman baths. From the 6th century AD onwards, Thessaloniki survived from the conquests by the Avars, Slaves and other barbarians. The city was also surrounded by Slavic settlements, even though it still maintained linkages with Constantinople by sea. |