Philippi Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27; Acts 16:12, 22; 20:6; Philippians 1-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:2
St. Paul's trip into Macedonia brought him from the harbor at
Neapolis, 9 miles (15 km.) northwest over the ridge to Philippi.
This strategic Roman garrison city became the place of the first
established church congregation, with early converts to
Christianity. Philippi was located 115 miles northeast of Salonika (Thessaloniki),
now close to the Bulgarian border. The city occupies the edge of a
plain east of Mt. Pangaeus, tucked in the valley between the Lekani
(east) and Phalakro and Menikio
(north). Mt. Pangeo was the sacred mountain of Dionysos in
antiquity, as well as the area of great gold and silver mines. The
plain area had a large swampy valley in the ancient period, but the
swamp was drained in the 1930's by a canal system for irrigation.
The city may have been the home of the Physician Luke who traveled
with St. Paul on occasion. As a result, Luke may have taken special
interest in his description of the city as the "capitol of first
district of Macedonian Rome" (Acts. 16:12) a reference to the
historical division of Macedonia earlier in the Roman period. In
addition to its historical importance, Philippi was located along
the important "Via Egnatia", the Roman road from Asia Minor that
traversed the Balkan Peninsula toward the Adriatic Sea to ports with
direct passage to Italy. In a sense, Philippi was the great roadway
garrison station for the "eastern gate" from Europe to the Persian
cities. By Roman times, the city had two types of citizens: Italians
commissioned to live here and "political proselytes" like St. Paul
and Silas, who were brought into the Roman citizenry by legislation
of Rome.
Excavations of the city began when Napoleon Bonaparte (C18-19th)
gave an imperial edict to French scholars to begin the archaeology
at Philippi in the Forum where some buildings were already showing
or close to the surface. After a long delay from the original
excavations, they were renewed in 1914 under the auspices of the
French Archaeological School working until 1937. Modern excavations
have been undertaken by the Hellenic Archaeological Service, the
Archeological Society of Athens, and the University of Thessaloniki.
Archaeologists have carefully constructed a working model of the
occupation of the site. The earliest periods (Neolithic to Early
Bronze) yield evidence of a settlement referred to as the "Dikli-tach",
a group that used the flood plain for agriculture eventually gave
way to a Thracian culture
settlement.
The city was founded as early as 700 BCE, and the site was well
populated by both Thasos and the Thracian peoples during the
Classical Period. The Classical period name of the site was CRENIDES
(fountains), possibly because of a large ornament in the city square
or the vast amount of surface water.
As King Philip II of Macedon took complete control of the region
(365 BCE, control after 358/7 BCE) as a border garrison fort against
Thrace, he swept in to dominate the nearby gold mines at Mt.
Pangaeus. The gold was used to finance the build up of Philip's (and
later Alexander's) army. With the rise of Rome, King Perseus (last
of the Macedonian Kings) was routed from the Macedonian throne and
ceded the area to Roman control. The Romans initially divided the
area into four districts, later reorganizing Macedonia by 148 BCE as
a single province.
Philippi became a Roman possession after Rome punished the
Macedonian King Philip V for supporting the Carthaginians in the
Punic Wars. The first defeat of the Macedonians was first in 197 BCE
at Kynoskephalai, and a later at Pydna in 168 BCE. In the process,
Philippi was devastated by the Roman army, and needed great
restoration. The addition of the "Via Egnatia" military supply
roadway put the city firmly on the map. The Via Egnatia passed (west
to east) from Apollonia and Dyrrachium (in Albania) to Lychidnus,
Herakleia Edhessa, Pella, Thessaloniki, Amphipolis and Philippi to
Neapolis. After 46 CE it was extended to Byzantium (called later
Constantinople).
The city became famous as a result of the Battle of Mark Antony and
Octavian (later Augustus Caesar) against the conspirators and
murderers of Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius (killers of Julius
Caesar). The battle raged beside the city (largely in the swampy
region to the west of the city. Philippi was commemorated by being
granted colony status (an outpost for immigrants and warriors). Its
new full name became "Colonia Augusta Julia Philippensus". This
colony status offered four practical things to the citizenry: 1)
full voting rights; 2) free trade with Rome; 3) guarantee of
protection of Rome (i.e. "Bullmark of the Empire"); and 4) soldiers
of defeated battles and armies lived here in clemency. When Mark
Antony turned against Octavian in 31 BCE and fought at Actium (NW
Greece), Octavian defeated him. Octavian became Caesar Augustus, and
garrisoned
Philippi substantially as the eastern buffer of Europe.
Luke apparently joins St. Paul, Silas and Timothy in Neapolis. Acts
16:12 records the arrival of the Gospel to Macedonia through St.
Paul's Second Journey. With no synagogue in the city, St. Paul goes
to prosecute (a temporary place of prayer) to observe Sabbath. The
stream off of the Gangites River (called the Zygakte River today)
was the likely place where St. Paul came upon Lydia. The irony of
the vision of the Macedonian man that brought St. Paul to Macedonia
was that his first recorded convert was a Thyatiran saleswoman! (cp.
Acts 16:4, 21-33). An inscription found in Philippi for her craft
says the "city honors among the purple dyers, one Antiochus the son
of Lyfos, a Thyatiran as a benefactor", an evidence that this trade
was represented at Philippi.
St. Paul uses citizenship as protection (Acts 16:37-38). Later, St.
Paul explains to the Philippian believers that their true
"citizenship" is in Heaven in the letter written to them! The
conversion of the Philippian jailer is another important story from
the journey (Acts 16:21-33). Believers from this small church became
important in St. Paul's ministry. This church became a chief
financial supporter and Philippians 4:16 suggests that the epistle
written to them by St. Paul was a "Thank You" letter for a financial
gift! The trip of Epaphroditus to St. Paul was apparently the third
support offering sent by them. With the town filled with soldiers
and slaves, it is no wonder that St. Paul used language associated
with the chariot racing language as "Press toward the prize".
The site today has yielded extensive evidence of worship of various
pagan gods on reliefs, etc. found around the precipice of the city.
These reliefs contain images such as Greek and Thracian gods,
Eastern (Babylonian?) gods, and the Egyptian gods of Isis and
Serapis. Harpocrates also had a shrine there. Above the city on the
acropolis, one can still see remains of existing ramparts
and
citadel defenses. In addition, an impressive theatre built in C4th
BCE and altered in C2nd CE is extant. A possible third alteration in
C3 CE allowed the dramatic theatre to be transformed in purpose to a
place for gladiatorial and beast contests. The Roman forum is well
represented, with fountains on both the east and west ends. A Roman
lavatory and several later Basilicas are also evident. The bishopric
of the Byzantine occupation is under excavation now.
PLACE
REFERENCE
Amphipolis
Acts 17:1
Apollonia
Acts 17:1
Athens
Acts 17:15-16, 22; 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:1
Berea
Acts 17:10, 13: 20:4
Cenchrea
Acts 18:18, Romans 16:1
Coos (Kos)
Acts 21:1
Corinth
Acts 18:1; 19:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1, 23; 2 Timothy
4:20
Cyprus
Acts 4:38; 11:19,20; 13:4; 15:39; 21:3,16; 27:4
Neapolis (Kavala) Acts 16:11
Patmos
Rev 1:9
Philippi Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27; Acts 16:12, 22;
20:6; Philippians 1-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:2
Rhodes
Act 21:1
Thessalonica Acts
17:1. 11. 13; 27:2; Philippians 4:16: 1 and 2 Thessalonians; 2
Timothy 4:10