Philippi occupied a strategic position controlling the route between the Anatolian hinterland and the Aegean basin, especially the corridor that would later be formalized as the Via Egnatia. Its location near the Pangaion gold mines and its command of the narrow passage known as the stena made it a focal point of military, political, and economic activity throughout antiquity.

The city is particularly noted for its transformation duirng the period of Roman Empire following the decisive Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE and for its prominence in early Christian history, chiefly through the missionary activity of the Apostle Paul. The archaeological site preserves monuments spanning the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods, allowing for a detailed reconstruction of its urban and cultural development.

circa

Founding and Greek Period
The settlement that later became Philippi originated as the Thasian colony of Krenides (Crenides) in the mid-4th century BCE. In 356 BCE, Philip II of Macedon intervened at the request of the colonists, who were threatened by Thracian tribes, and annexed the city. He fortified it extensively and renamed it Philippi. The city’s prosperity during the Macedonian period was tied largely to the exploitation of nearby gold deposits and its position along the east–west land route connecting the Strymon and Nestos river basins. Hellenistic Philippi was characterized by a fortified acropolis, a regularized urban layout on the lower terraces, and civic institutions typical of Macedonian poleis. Although it never rose to the political prominence of cities such as Pella or Amphipolis, Philippi remained a secure military outpost and economic center serving Macedon’s eastern frontier.

Roman Era
Philippi’s historical transformation accelerated after the collapse of the Roman Republic. In 42 BCE, the plain west of the city was the site of the Battle of Philippi, in which the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian defeated the armies of Brutus and Cassius. Following the victory, the city was reorganized as Colonia Victrix Philippensium, populated with Roman veterans. Octavian later re-founded it as Colonia Iulia Augusta Philippensis, granting ius Italicum, which conferred significant fiscal privileges and a Roman legal identity. The Roman colony introduced a new administrative structure, monumentalized the urban landscape, and integrated Philippi firmly into the provincial system of Macedonia.

The construction of the Via Egnatia, routed directly through the city, strengthened its role as a hub of regional trade and imperial communication. Public works included a forum complex, a theatre refurbished for Roman spectacles, baths, and a largely orthogonal street system superimposed on earlier structures. The presence of a diverse population—Romans, Greeks, Thracians, and eastern migrants—is attested epigraphically.

Philippi’s importance in Christian history dates to the mid-1st century CE. According to early Christian tradition, the Apostle Paul visited Philippi during his second missionary journey, around 49–50 CE. The conversion of Lydia, described in the Acts of the Apostles, represents one of the earliest recorded Christian baptisms on European soil. Paul maintained close relations with the Philippian congregation, reflected in the Epistle to the Philippians. Archaeologically, the city later developed substantial Christian architecture, but these emerged mainly in the late Roman and early Byzantine phases rather than the earliest period of evangelization.

Byzantine Period and Decline
During the early Byzantine period, Philippi remained a significant urban center, fortified and endowed with substantial ecclesiastical architecture. The 5th and 6th centuries saw the construction of a series of large basilicas—Basilicas A, B, and C—exhibiting elaborate mosaic floors and complex auxiliary spaces, indicating a thriving Christian community and the city’s position as a regional episcopal seat. A major refortification in the Justinianic era improved the acropolis defenses and repaired sections of the circuit walls damaged by earthquakes.

Seismic activity, along with shifts in regional political and economic structures, contributed to the city’s gradual decline. A severe earthquake in the 7th century appears to have destroyed much of the monumental center; combined with Slavic incursions and transformations in Byzantine administrative geography, urban life contracted sharply. By the Middle Byzantine period, occupation was limited largely to the fortified acropolis, and by the late medieval era the site had effectively ceased functioning as a significant town. The remnants of Philippi fell into ruin, preserving in stratified layers the record of its Macedonian foundation, Roman flourishing, and Byzantine final phase.

circa 356 BCE

Theater
The ancient theatre at Philippi, located on the southeastern slope of the city's acropolis hill, serves as a remarkable monument illustrating the cultural and historical shifts of the region from the Hellenistic through the Roman and Early Christian eras. Originally built in the mid-fourth century BCE during the reign of Philip II of Macedon, it followed the classical Hellenistic theatrical tradition, with a semi-circular cavea built into the hillside to provide both structural support and natural acoustics.

Significant architectural alterations occurred under Roman influence, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, when the theatre was adapted for gladiatorial contests and wild beast hunts. This Roman phase involved reinforcing the structure and converting the orchestra into a marble-paved arena, enclosed by a high wall for spectator safety. With the rise of Christianity, the theatre's function declined as such spectacles were abandoned, and the structure was eventually repurposed for workshops before falling into ruin.

The systematic French and Greek archaeological excavations conducted since the early 20th century have uncovered these distinct building phases, providing crucial stratigraphic evidence of Philippi's urban evolution and the changing public functions of its civic spaces.

circa 50 CE

Roman Forum
The Roman Forum at Philippi, dating primarily to the Antonine period of the 2nd century CE, serves as a quintessential example of Roman urban planning imposed upon a Hellenistic foundation. Situated centrally in the city, south of the pivotal Via Egnatia, this monumental complex superseded the earlier Greek agora and became the administrative, commercial, and religious heart of the Roman colony of Colonia Augusta Julia Philippensis.

Excavations have revealed a large, rectangular paved square flanked by public buildings, including temples, a basilica, and a commercial market (macellum). Architectural details, such as the Corinthian columns of the marketplace, attest to the high level of Romanization and municipal expenditure. The forum's layout and grand scale reflect the city's status as a "small Rome" in the eastern provinces, while its stratified archaeological record, with evidence of earlier structures beneath, offers crucial insights into the urban evolution from a Macedonian settlement to a flourishing Roman and, subsequently, early Christian center. The ultimate fate of the forum is tied to the city's broader decline, notably following the destructive earthquake of 620 CE, which led to the reuse of its materials in later Byzantine construction.

circa 50 CE

"Prison of Saint Paul"
The traditional site known as the "Prison of Saint Paul" in Philippi, identified as a small, subterranean chamber near the Roman Forum, is an archaeological feature whose association with the apostle is based on later Christian tradition rather than definitive first-century evidence.

Excavations have revealed it to be a Roman-era cistern that was later repurposed for Christian worship, likely in the Byzantine period, as evidenced by surviving frescoes and votive crosses carved into its walls. While the Acts of the Apostles (16:23-26) explicitly records Paul and Silas's imprisonment and subsequent miraculous release in Philippi, the text does not specify the location of the prison, and Roman penal practices of the era involved various forms of detention.

Therefore, though this site powerfully visualizes the biblical narrative for pilgrims and visitors, its archaeological significance lies more in demonstrating the enduring local veneration of the apostle and the early Christian practice of converting existing Roman structures for religious purposes, rather than serving as direct material proof of Paul's specific incarceration site.

circa 500 CE

Basilica A
It was built as a great three-aisled, timber-roofed basilica with a transept on the east side. Its dimensions are 130x50 meters. There is a monumental semi-circular propylon with marble stairs that leads from the Forum to the columned courtyard of the temple. From the courtyard, two entrances lead to the four-sided atrium, which has galleries on its three sides (east, north and south) while its western side is shaped as a two-level fountain. The connection between the atrium and the vestibule (narthex) is achieved through three entrances. On the northwest side of the narthex, the Baptistery as well as the staircase which led to the women's quarters of the church are preserved.

From the vestibule, the faithful were entering the naos (nave) via three entrances, a central triple entrance (tribelon) and two simple ones on the side. Two colonnades with 15 columns each, divided the church into three aisles. In front of the bema (presbytery) the colonnades bent at right angles to the north and south respectively, forming the transept, 2 rectangular area perpendicular to the rest of the temple. As a result the temple opens up in its eastern part obtaining the shape of “T".

The church had a saddleback timber roof. The floor of the bema and the transept was paved with marble inlay (small pieces of marble that formed geometric shapes) while the floor of the naos was paved with marble slabs. In the central aisle, parts of the ambo (pulpit) are still preserved and in front of the bema the stylobate of the templon is maintained. There are also traces of the base of the altar as well as the synthronon with the seats of the priests. The asles were separated by panes leaned on the pillars of the colonnades while panels from colourful marbles consisted the templon of the church.

This magnificent temple, which is distinguished by its size and impressive sculptural decoration (capitals, plaster-capitals, panels) was built in the late fifth century CE, sometime around 500 CE. After its destruction, probably by an earthquake, the church was not reconstructed. But in the southwest corner of the atrium, where there was a Roman cistern, at a place identified by tradition as the prison of St. Paul, a chapel was built after the 7th-8th century CE from which there are scant remains today.

circa 550 CE

Basilica B
Constructed around the mid-6th century CE, the so-called Basilica B of ancient Philippi is a monumental, three-aisled Early Christian basilica that represents a major architectural undertaking during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. Erected over the remains of the Roman-era palaestra, its construction necessitated the demolition of the earlier structure, a practice indicative of the Late Antique re-appropriation of urban space for Christian purposes.

Basilica B was designed with a domed central nave supported by massive square pillars, an ambitious architectural plan echoing the grand ecclesiastical architecture of contemporary Constantinople, and showcasing the artistic influence from the capital on provincial centers. However, this architectural marvel was never fully completed, as evidence from excavations by the French School at Athens suggests that the construction was abandoned following a catastrophic earthquake around 619 CE, a theory supported by the lack of structural repairs and the presence of collapsed material.

The ruins, with their impressive remaining columns and foundations, therefore serve as a powerful testament not only to Philippi's prosperity as an early Christian metropolis but also to the sudden and widespread environmental factors that contributed to the city's eventual decline.