The site of Paul’s first European sermon, Philippi had earlier been conquered in 356 B.C. by the father of Alexander the Great, Philip II, who wanted to control the region’s gold mines. Philip settled the site with his native Macedonians and gave the town (then known as Krenides, or “springs”) his own name. Today, Philippi contains Hellenistic remains from the period of Philip’s reign and thereafter, including fortifications, an acropolis and a theater.
In Roman times, Philippi sat on the Via Egnatia, the main artery from Rome to the east. In 42 B.C., Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi, avenging Julius Caesar’s assassination two years earlier. Antony then established a Roman colony at the site. The Roman town had a central agora, a forum, an elaborate bath complex with mosaic floors (no longer extant) and temples to pagan gods such as Hercules and Liber Pater (the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Dionysos). Inscriptions from Philippi show that women played predominant roles in devotional ceremonies at many of Philippi’s temples.
The Apostle Paul
On his second missionary journey, around 50 A.D., Paul established the first European church at Philippi. Acts 16:11–40 recounts that on the Sabbath Paul visited a “place of prayer,” possibly a synagogue, where his words prompted a woman named Lydia to convert to Christianity. Paul was later imprisoned (in a cave just outside the town, according to local tradition; see photo, below) by Philippi officials for advocating customs forbidden to Romans (Acts 16:21). In his letter to the Philippians, written in the late 50s or early 06560s, Paul expressed his gratitude that “in the early days of the gospel” only the church at Philippi had supported him after he had left Macedonia (Philippians 4:15).
Early Christian Churches
Philippi’s earliest Christian building is a small fourth-century church dedicated to Paul. In the fifth century, a larger basilica was built, with its apse oriented to the east—toward Jerusalem and toward the rising sun. Among the numerous churches built in the fifth and sixth centuries was the Direkler Basilica (visible in the background of the photo at the top); this structure was originally to be crowned with an enormous free-standing dome, but the dome collapsed during construction and a smaller church was built in its place. Outside Philippi’s walls is the Extra-muros Basilica, built in the fifth century in an area containing tombs. This site contains Christian burials up to the 11th century.
How to Get There
One daily flight from Athens to Kavala, then a 20-minute taxi ride to Philippi. There is also regular bus service from the airport into Kavala, and from Kavala to Philippi.
Other Essentials
No visa needed for tourism in Greece. Kavala has hotels of the lower, middle and upper range; a typical good double hotel room costs $80–100 in the peak season, which lasts from June to September.
Further Reading
The Cities of the Eastern Roman Provinces by Arnold H.M. Jones (Oxford, UK: Clarendon, 1971).
Early Byzantine Churches in Macedonia and Southern Serbia by Ralph Hoddinott (New York: St. Martins, 1963).
Philippi, Greece
200 miles north of Athens
History
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