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NEAPOLIS (KAVALA)

The vission that Paul the Apostle saw in his sleep, while in Troas (Troy), of a tall Macedonian standing before him and beseeching him: "Come over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9), was decisive for his course from there onwards and inaugurated his remarkable salvationary relationship with the Greeks. He had already embarked on his second journey, for the purpose of consolidating and augmenting the Churches he had founded.

In the winter of AD 49, Paul landed on European soil for the first time, at Neapolis, site of the modem city of Kavala, after a voyage lasting two days, assisted by a fair wind. Some seven years later, when he visited this place for a second time (AD 56), it took him five days to cover the same distance.

Neapolis, a colony of the Thasians according to scholarly consensus, an important harbour opposite Thasos and close to the delta of the River Nestos, was founded around 500 BC and developed into a thriving commercial centre. It is located on the ancient route that, following the physical configuration of the land, linked Thrace with Macedonia. From study of the historical sources, it seems that the Persians marched through Neapolis in 490 BC, in their expedition to southern Greece, and Alexander the Great likewise passed this way en route for Asia Minor.

Significant evidence for determining the date of the founding of Neapolis is its silver coinage, the first inscribed issues of which are dated to the years around 500 BC and bear a gorgoneion (head of the mythical monster Gorgon) on the obverse and an incuse square or swastika on the reverse. In order to distinguish this currency from that of other homonymous cities (Neapolis means "new city"), the legend reads "Neapolis in Thrace" or "Neapolis beside Antisara".
The city is included in the fiscal lists of Athens from 454 BC and Thracian Neapolis was always a steadfast ally of the Athenians. Fragments of two honorific decrees for Neapolis, dating from the last decade of the fifth century BC, were found on the Acropolis of Athens. After 340 BC, when Philip II of Macedon was sovereign of the region, Neapolis lost her autonomy and references to the city are rare. The name Neapolis is preserved on a milestone (miliarion) dating from the reign of Hadrian (AD 106-107) on the Via Egnatia, while another milestone from the Egnatia, this one dating from the late second century AD, was found in Neapolis itself. Only scant remains of the Early Christian period have been identified. In the environs of the church of St Nicholas, where tradition has it that Paul the Apostle and his companions disembarked, as well as in the church of the Virgin, fragments of Early Christian closure slabs, mullions and columns have come to light. The modern town of Kavala, which occupies the site of Neapolis, appears in literary sources from the early ninth century under the name Christoupolis (= "city of Christ"), whereas it probably acquired its present name in the mid-fifteenth century.

It was at that time (mid-15th century AD) that the mosque (cami) of Ibrahim Pasha was built by the Ottoman Turks; this is now the church of St Nicholas, in the town centre. In recent years the spa in front of this monument has been laid out, using spolia from Early Christian buildings, and a work by the well-known artist F. Varlamis placed there. This painting, in oil on canvas, is a representation of the moment Paul the Apostle first came ashore in Europe.

Paul the Apostle came ashore in the area of St Nicholas and, following the Via Egnatia, headed directly for Philippi, "which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, a colony" (Acts 16:12) and 12 kilometres away from Neapolis. He was accompanied by Silas, Timothy and the physician Luke, the Evangelist and author of the Acts of the Apostles.

The Via Egnatia, a long military highway linking Dyrrhachium on the Adriatic with Byzantium, was constructed between 146 and 120 BC and named after the proconsul who supervised this engineering feat, Gnaius Egnatius. The road was a decisive factor in the development of the cities near which it passed. Paved sections of the Via Egnatia have been uncovered in Kavala, in front of and behind the monastery of St Silas. The section from the "Egnatia" Hotel, in the town, as far as the col of the hill on which the monastery stands, has been restored recently as a pleasant "promenade".

PHILIPPI ................................................back to top

Human habitation at the site later occupied by the city of Philippi goes back some five thousand years before the Nativity of Christ, as attested by the prehistoric settlement of Dikili-Tas, excavated in the vicinity. Many centuries later, after 360 BC, Thasians led by the Athenian Kallistratos founded a colony hereabouts, intent on exploiting the rich and fertile region around. They named the place Krenides, on account of the numerous springs. Two major rivers, the Strymon and the Nestos, water its earth. Close to the forested Mt Pangaion, rich in metal ores, and in the verdant foothills of Mt Orbelos, the colonists struggled to establish a foothold, as they suffered from the relentless pressures of the indigenous Thracian tribes. They eventually resorted to Philip for assistance, and the monarch, realizing the location's potential, both in terms of natural resources and as a node of communications, settled colonists in the city, fortified it and renamed it Philippi (356 BC). After the battle between the warring factions of Romans, at Philippi in 42 BC, and the defeat of the Republicans, the newly instituted emperor settled Roman colonists and veterans there. The city became a Roman colony and was renamed Colonia Augusta Julia Philippensis, and its inhabitants given the rights and privileges of Roman citizens. Veterans (veterani) was the term used of retired Roman soldiers of all ranks, who left the army after serving from between 12 and 26 years.

The importance of the city of Philippi is attested by its extensive archaeological site and especially the Early Christian basilicas. The city was traversed by the Via Egnatia, which divided it into two. Sections of this road survive on the north side of the forum of Philippi, close to the present baptistery, on the River Zygaktes.

Very few Jews were living in Philippi during the period of Paul’s visit, which is why there was no synagogue. On the Sabbath, however, they gathered on the bank of the River Zygaktes, a tributary of the Strymon, in an evocative landscape. On the first Sabbath that Paul went to this place, the womenfolk had assembled and they were the first people In Europe to hear the Apostle preach. Among them was Lydia, a pious lady who hailed from Thyateira in Asia Minor and sold purple from Phrygia, for dyeing luxurious textiles. Lydia was the first person in Europe to be baptized a Christian and played a decisive role in disseminating the Word of God (Acts 16:12-15).

As Paul and his retinue were on their way down to the place of prayer, they met a young slave girl "possessed with a spirit of divination .. who brought her masters much profit by fortune telling" (Acts 16:16). "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation", (Acts 16:17), she shouted as she followed the Apostle and his companions, and repeated these word for several days. At one moment, the infuriated Paul turned towards her and addressed the "spirit": "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her" (Acts 16:18), and forthwith the "spirit of divination" vanished. But the girl's masters lost their source of income as a result of this deed and accused Paul and Silas of causing "exceeding trouble in the city" and of teaching "customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe". Paul and Silas were flogged and cast in jail. But an earthquake that night spread panic. The doors of the jail opened and the jailor attempted to commit suicide. The two Apostles prevented him in the nick of time. He confessed his belief in God and was baptized along with the members of his family, and welcomed Paul and Silas into his home.

On the morrow, the magistrates, astonished by the events of that night, learnt that they had imprisoned Roman citizens. Terrified, they apologized to the Apostles and begged them, for fear of riots, to abandon the city.

The Apostles left the house of Lydia, who had offered them hospitality, and departed for Thessalonica. Paul the Apostle was to maintain close ties with the Philippians, who supported him economically on many occasions, even when he was incarcerated in Rome. It was from Rome that he wrote the Epistle to the Philippians, in which, among other things, he stresses: "Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain" (Philippians 2:14-16). Seven years after his first visit, Paul came to Philippi again, in the autumn of AD 56, and subsequently made another three visits, in April AD 57, spring AD 63 and winter AD 64.

AMPHIPOLIS ........................................back to top

When Paul the Apostle and Silas left Philippi, after their eventful stay, they took the Via Egnatia and headed in haste for Thessalonica.
It is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles that "... when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica ..." (17: 1), which means that although there were important cities in the region, Paul passed them by without halting. He was in a hurry to reach Thessalonica, where he knew "there was a synagogue of the Jews", since this is mentioned at the end of the passage cited.
However, Amphipolis was one of the most important cities in Macedonia. It was founded in 437 BC by General Hagnon, son of Nikias, on the site of the earlier city of Ennea Hodoi, and was named so because of the fact that it developed on both banks of the River Strymon. This was a naturally fortified and strategic position that controlled the fertile farm land and the sources of metal ores. Amphipolis was the headquarters of the First Meris, one of the four administrative regions into which the Romans divided Macedonia. Alexander the Great had set out from Amphipolis on his campaign of conquest and it was here that his wife Roxane and her son were assassinated. It was the birthplace of Zoilos Homeromastix ("Scourger of Homer"), the fourth-century BC sophist, and of Pamphilos, teacher of Apelles and Pausias. Much later it became an episcopal see and a significant religious centre, as is indicated by the discovery of basilicas and an Early Christian rotunda church in archaeological excavations.

Amphipolis is believed to have been destroyed some time in the eighth or ninth century and to have been rebuilt in the thirteenth or fourteenth. It is to this latter period that the remnants of two towers, one on each bank of the Strymon, date. They belonged to monasteries of Mt. Athos and were most probably used as storehouses, while at the same time functioning as surveillance posts (vigles) for the pass to the heartland.

APOLLONIA ...........................................back to top

Apollonia. which Paul the Apostle and Silas passed by, like Amphipolis, was an ancient city in Mygdaonia, Macedonia, built on the south shore of Lake Bolbe in 432 BC and settled by colonists from Chalkis in Euboea. Pride and joy of the city was the imposing temple of Apollo, hence its name. The region, in which there is now a lacustrine woodland, refuge of rare species of animals and birds, including an impressive colony of herons, was particularly important in military terms. This fact is confirmed not only in Roman and Byzantine times but also during the Ottoman period. Close to the north side of the Apollo temple was the “bema of Paul the Apostle”. A spring whose waters ran a little way beyond was considered to be his sacred fount (hagiasma).

In the early twentieth century Apollonia was known as Pazarouda, because a weekly bazaar (pazari) took place there, mainly attended by Turks. Though Muslims, they respected the miraculous power of the water from the aforesaid spring, believing it to be an antidote to evil. They also exploited these properties, by demanding money from those pilgrims who came to the fount and took away holy water.

THESSALONICA ................................back to top

When Apostle Paul and Silas reached Thessalonica, in late autumn AD 49, they found a city completely different from those they had encountered hitherto. A free city (librae conditionis) under Roman sovereignty since 168 BC, when it was subjugated by the Roman Consul Aemilius Paulus, as were the other cities of Macedonia, after Perseus' crushing defeat at Pydna. It was the seat of a proconsul and had a population of 200,000.

The city was founded by Kassander in 315 BC and named after his wife Thessalonike, sister of Alexander the Great. There was nothing fortuitous in the choice of its location. For at least 2,500 years before then, there were settlements dispersed throughout the fertile plain watered by large rivers, the earliest of which date back to the Neolithic Age. One of these settlements existed on the site of Thessalonica, in the creek of the gulf mentioned by Herodotus and used by Xerxes as a naval and military base in 480 BC, during his campaign against Greece.
The city spread from the seaboard to the acropolis hill, forming an enormous square inside the walls, the earliest sections of which are dated from Hellenistic times. Traversing the city centre was the main East-West thoroughfare (decumanus maximus), the Via Regia of the Romans, known as the Leophoros in the Byzantine Age, and today’s modern Egnatias Street. It terminated to the west at the imposing Golden Gate (Chryse Pyle), also known as the Gate of the Vardari or Axios, after the river. Extra muros spread a verdant, fertile plain with olive groves, vineyards and fields of other crops. Thessalonica was a nodal point for communications: crossroads of land routes through the Haemus Peninsula (Balkans) and focus of sea-lanes from all the ports in the Mediterranean.

In the early second century BC, Philip V granted the city the right to mint its own bronze coinage. During this century there was evidently civil strife and Roman interventions in the domestic affairs of the Macedonian State. Thessalonica followed the fate of the other cities of Northern Greece and was subjected to Rome.

From the late first century BC Thessalonica was home to many Jews, who were prosperous and held an important place in the economy. As is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, there was a synagogue in the city, close to the harbour. Paul went there on three successive Sabbaths. From the narrative of the Acts of the Apostle (17:2-3) we learn that he had discussions with the congregants, interpreting passages of the Holy Scripture referring to the fact that Christ would be crucified and would arise from the dead. "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ", he declared with passion. Some believed him and became disciples of Paul and Silas. Many of the Greek proselytes to Judaism were convinced and so were several women, from among the higher strata of the city's society. The exact number of these first Christians is not known. However, it is known for certain that a Church was founded in Thessalonica.

Paul's activity in Thessalonica was not long in causing problems and stirring up trouble, as had been the case in Philippi. The duration of the Apostles' stay in the city is a matter for speculation. Some biblical scholars consider that it was much longer than the sojourn implied by the expression "for three Sabbaths" (Acts 17:2).

The Jews of Thessalonica exploited some suspicious persons in the marketplace to incite the mob. Some headed for the home of the convert Jason, believing that there they would find Paul and Silas, who had managed to hide. They then dragged Jason violently before the archons of the city (an institution carried over from Macedonian Hellenism), along with some other Christians, and declaimed: "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harboured them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king Jesus" (Acts 17:6-7). Jason was released on surety and the other Christians were freed unconditionally, but there was general social unrest. Paul and Silas left Thessalonica in the dead of night.

This is what we know about Paul the Apostle's stay in Thessalonica. Tradition has it that as he left in a hurry, pursued by his fellow Jews, he escaped from a point high up in the city, in the vicinity where the Vlatadon monastery was later founded, possibly exiting the walls through a sally porte.

Not far to the east of the spot where the Vlatadon monastery stands today, there was a spring. According to local lore, Paul stopped here to quench his thirst. He was commemorated annually at this spring, known as the "hagiasma" of Apostle Paul. After the liberation of Thessalonica from Ottoman rule, in 1912, a church dedicated to Paul the Apostle was built and the hagiasma was enhanced. Today a modern imposing church is evidence of the Apostle's visit to Thessalonica, of his teaching and of the fruits born of the seed he sowed.

Paul quit Thessalonica in a hurry. But he never forgot the Christians he left behind there. Proof of this are his two Epistles to the Thessalonians, which bear witness to his unflagging interest in their spiritual and social progress, encouraging, counselling and thanking them. Further proof is the fact that he sent Timothy to Thessalonica, to learn from him first hand of what was happening. Both epistles were written in Corinth. The first is believed to have been sent in AD 51-52 and the second perhaps early in AD 53. The second, it should be noted, was written by Paul, Silvanus and Timothy.

In the First Epistle, Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to desist from prostitution and not to succumb to carnal lust. He refers to the Second Coming, in the famous words: "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you should sorrow as others who have no hope" (1 Thess. 4:13). For, as he stresses further on. "... God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:9). Elsewhere he observes: "... you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith towards God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (1 Thess. 1:6-9).

The aim of the Second Epistle is to clarify certain issues concerning the Second Coming. Paul's teaching had whipped up such enthusiasm in Thessalonica that some believers were of the opinion that the Second Coming was "ante portas" and thus quit their jobs and waited for it, without working. This epistle includes the famous phrases: "if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat" (II Thess. 3:10) and "… brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle" (II Thess, 2:15).

When Apostle Paul left Thessalonica in haste, he believed he would return soon. Seven years were to pass, however, before this happened and then again he was forced to hide from house to house. Nevertheless, he forged close ties with this city and sung its praises, speaking of the faith, patience, steadfastness and love of its citizens. In Thessalonica Paul gained two important disciples. Secundus, who accompanied him on his last journey, and Aristarchus, who was incarcerated with him.

The city's development after the triumph of Christianity more than vindicates Paul's inordinate love and praise of this place. His arrival in Thessalonica signalled the beginning of a new chapter in her history. The emperors of the Late Roman period were interested in Thessalonica and by capitalizing on her important strategic position assisted her development into an important megalopolis by the early fourth century AD. Galerius founded a separate palace complex (4th c. AD) in Thessalonica, after its recognition as capital of the sector of the Roman Empire assigned to him in the period of the Tetrarchy.

BEREA (VERIA) .....................................back to top

Paul and Silas left for Berea under cover of darkness, smuggled out of Thessalonica by the Christians. They walked along the Via Egnatia, but branched off at Pella and passed through beautiful, lush, verdant countryside.

At the time Paul the Apostle and his companions came to Berea, the city was the populous capital of the Third Meris of Macedonia. Spread over the foothills of densely wooded Mt Bermion, it had occupied the same site since its founding, which is lost in the depths of history. Macedonians settled there around 700 BC, but the first mention is by Thucydides, in his account of the Athenians’ campaigns in Potidaia. Following the fate of the other Macedonian cities, Berea was subjugated to Roman rule in 168 BC, to emerge in imperial times as one of the leading cities of Macedonia. Its large and lively population included many Jews, who had a flourishing synagogue. As is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, when Paul and Silas "... arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews" (17: 10), who "were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). Among the congregation were members of the wealthy classes, Hebrews and proselytes and a large number of women.

However, news of Paul's activity in Berea soon reached Thessalonica, and the Apostle's enemies there sent men to foment trouble. Paul's companions immediately led him away from the city, but Timothy and Silas remained. The new Church needed them. Because they had been studying Holy Scriptures with interest throughout Paul's sojourn, someone had to stay behind to explain the Gospel of Christ. In any case, the mob vented its enmity primarily on Paul. In recompense, Berea gave the Apostle of Nations a worthy collaborator, Sopatros son of Pyrrhos, who later accompanied him for a long time after his return to Asia.

The place where Paul is said to have stood and preached the Gospel to the Bereans, the so-called "Bema of St Paul", has now been laid out most impressively. Since 1995, a series of religious, cultural, athletic and artistic events entitled the "Pauleia" has been organized, culminating in a scientific conference.

ATHENS ................................................back to top

Leaving Berea Paul sailed for Athens in AD 51. The journey lasted twelve days. Athens in the mid – first century AD was very different from the illustrious city of Classical times. It had been looted systematically of its works of art by the Roman conquerors and the decline of morality was becoming apparent.

The ship carrying Apostle Paul dropped anchor at Phaleron (Faliron) which was then the main port of Athens, as it had been in earlier times. It was from Phaleron that Theseus had set sail for Crete and Menestheus had departed for Troy with fifty ships. During the Ottoman period the region was called "Uts-purgas. Turkish for "three towers", which were actually standing until the nineteenth century and served as guard-posts. The harbour was located between the estuary of the Kephisos river and the small church of St George, which probably stands on the site of the wharf of ancient Phaleron.

From there commenced the road to Athens, which Paul took after his disembarkation. One century later, the traveller Pausanias observed that "The Athenians have also another harbour at Munychia, with a temple of Artemis of Munychia, and yet another at Phalerum, as I have already stated, and near it is a sanctuary of Demeter ... and altars of the gods named Unknown ..." (I 1.4). In the Acts of the Apostles (17:23) Paul does not specify exactly where he saw the altar with the inscription "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD". All he says is "... as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD". It is very possible that he saw one of the altars referred to by Pausanias. It should be noted that in Late Antiquity many people dedicated altars and ex-votos to "unknown gods", either because of superstition or because they wanted to pre-empt the consequence of neglecting gods of which they were unaware. In the Acts of the Apostles (17:16-34) there is a description of Paul's stay and activity in Athens and his sermon to the Athenians.

While he was waiting for Silas and Timothy to arrive from Macedonia, he strolled through Athens, discussing with its inhabitants, in the synagogue and the agora, and was very upset by the plethora of idols. By the same token, Paul's preaching of Christ's death by crucifixion and his resurrection bemused some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, who dismissed him as a "babbler" (Acts 17:18).

Paul was not hounded out of Athens for his teaching. On the contrary, he was taken to the Areopagus (Mars Hill) in order to address the Athenians formally and analytically, for as is commented in the Acts (17:21), "... all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either telling or hearing of some new thing".

Areopagus is the name of the hill to the west of the Acropolis of Athens, where those who had committed serious crimes were tried. The worship of the Eumenes or Erinyes, demonic creatures who avenged blood crimes, is attested archaeologically and the "Boule from the Areios Pagos" was associated with this place from very early times. When the Supreme Court convened to try murder cases, it did so on the Areopagus, whereas for other issues its members met at the seat of the Archon Basileus, the Royal Stoa, in the Athenian Agora. This stoa was one of the most famous public buildings in Athens and the first remains of it came to light in 1970, close to the cutting of the rock in which the tracks of the modern electric railway were laid. It served as a kind of archive of fundamental laws of the state, housed the basileus in the period after Solon and was the venue for public functions.

The Athenians listened to Paul, who had the opportunity of expounding the teachings of Jesus Christ. In an age of intellectual, spiritual and social decadence, those who dabbled in philosophy were still interested in new ideas and new beliefs. Paul's reference to the resurrection of the dead was a stumbling block for his further preaching of the Gospel in Athens. Even though the immortality of the soul was the ultimate point of Platonic teaching, it was not possible then for people to comprehend the resurrection of the dead. Nevertheless, the seminal word had now been sown . Furthermore, the bright and cloudless Attic sky, the Hellenic sense of beauty and piety were factors favourable to the development of the teaching of Paul, who revealed to the Athenians that "God who made the world and everything in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is he worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, since he gives to all life, breath, and all things" (Acts 17:24- 35).

Paul’s speech to the Athenian nobility is forever engraved on a stone at the very place where he spoke on the Hill of Areopagus. His short but powerful speech had an immediate effect. One of the members of the Supreme Court of Athens (Areios Pagos), Dionysios the Areopagite, converted to Christianity.

St Dionysios the Areopagite, of whom it was said that he had travelled to Egypt at the time Christ was crucified and, realizing that it was most extraordinary for darkness to fall at mid-day on Good Friday, had uttered the famous phrase, "Either God is suffering or all is destroyed", was baptized straight away, with all his family, as soon as he heard the Apostle Paul. He was martyred during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian, or according to other sources, of Trajan or Hadrian. Dionysios Areopagite is the patron saint of Athens and protector of judges, his feast day is celebrated on 3 October and by a decision of the Church of Greece he is commemorated as its founder. In 1887 a church dedicated to Paul the Apostle was built in the center of Athens.

CORINTH ................................................back to top

It is not known how Paul reached Corinth. He might have journeyed overland via Eleusis (mod. Elefsina) and Megara, but it is possible that he voyaged by sea. What is certain is that he left Athens with much on his mind regarding the Athenians’ attitude towards his teaching, as well as concerning the state of the Church of Macedonia. Indeed, as Paul departed from Athens, Timothy was already making his way to Thessalonica.

Corinth was a totally different city from Athens. The throng of merchants from all parts of the then-known world, and people of all races and mentalities, created another milieu, quite unlike the academic atmosphere of Athens.

The city was founded, way back in the past, by Aletes, descendant of the mythical hero Herakles. It was ruled at various times by personalities such as the tyrants Kypselos and Periander. It sided with the Spartans against Athens during the Peloponnesian War and for many years the activity of its rulers had a direct impact on the fortunes of other Greek cities, in Classical and Hellenistic times. In the Archaic period in particular, Corinth enjoyed a great economic and cultural development, as centre of production for excellent quality pottery and bronzes. The Protocorinthian vases are exquisitely painted and the typical shape is the aryballos.

Corinth was in a key location for communications between the Peloponnese and the rest of Greece, and was a bridge for voyages from East to West. Thus the city emerged as head of the Achaean Confederacy, to be reduced to heaps of rubble in 146 BC, when Mommius subjugated it to Rome. So great was the conqueror's hatred of its fame and wealth that Corinth was razed to the ground and remained a ghost-city for many years.

Almost one hundred years elapsed before the Romans decided to rebuild Corinth and to found a Roman colony upon the ruins of the once mighty city-state. Its population consisted of Greeks and Roman freedmen and veterans, as well as people from foreign lands. Astarte and Melikertes, Cybele and Attis, Isis and Serapis, Dionysos and Poseidon, but above all Aphrodite Pandeme, composed a pantheon of gods worshiped by the people of Corinth. The new city was built on the traces of the old. New buildings were erected and old ones were reconstructed.

In Corinth, Paul forged a friendship with the Jews Aquila and Priscilla, who were, like him, tent-makers and seem to have known something already about Christ. He lived and worked with them and each Sabbath taught the Jews and the Greeks. Most of the Jews were not persuaded that Jesus was the Messiah, and at one point Paul shook the dust from his clothes and went to reside in the house of Justus, who was a proselyte who lived near the synagogue. Among those who did believe was the ruler of the synagogue, Crispus, who was baptized with all his family.

One night Paul heard God in a dream, saying to him: “Do no be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city" (Acts 18:9-10). In the meantime, Silas and Timothy had arrived from Macedonia, and the number of those who came over to Christianity began to increase. Some of the best-known names are: Stephanus, Fortunatus, Chloe and Achaecus. The converts were from all walks of life. Apostle Paul stayed in Corinth for quite some time. It is estimated that he went to the city early in the year AD 50 and remained for a year and a half.
The Acts of the Apostles record that at some moment the Jews of Corinth ganged up against Paul and gave free rein to their passions. They dragged him before the courts, accusing him of trying illegally to persuade people to follow his teaching. On the Bema was the Roman Proconsul Gallio, whose name appears in an inscription at Delphi. This fact helped in dating securely the period of Paul's Apostolic journeys.
The action of the Jews in Corinth backfired. Gallio listened to their charges and, before Paul even opened his mouth, told them frankly: "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be a reason for my bearing with you. But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters” (Acts 18:14-15). And he dismissed the accusers without further ado. They vent their rage on the ruler of the synagogue, Sosthenes, whom they beat. The Jews’ suit before the Roman Proconsul proved fruitless because the problem with Paul was the hostility of his fellow Jews and not of the Gentiles. In the face of many adversities, the Church of Corinth developed.

A few weeks after the trial, Paul the Apostle decided to leave Corinth. He had to speed to Ephesus. He bid his brethren farewell and departed, in the company of Silas, Timothy, Aquila and Priscilla. He returned to Corinth in AD 57 and stayed in the house of Gaius, leaving there to head for Macedonia. Between his journeys he wrote two epistles, Corinthians I and II, from Ephesus. In these he endeavours to consolidate unity and to eradicate divisions. "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. that you all speak the same thing, and that there will be no divisions among you . . .", he writes in I Corinthians (1:10).

He speaks to them of the power and value of love, and chapter 13 of the same epistle is a "Hymn of Love": "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal".

Apostle Paul is the patron saint of Corinth and a magnificent church has been built in his honour.

Places associated with Paul’s mission journey to Corinth

The area over which the agora of Corinth extended is today an enormous archaeological site. At its heart is the ancient and revered Doric temple of Apollo, one of the most famous in Antiquity. There are numerous stoas and countless shops, smaller temples of Tyche (Fortuna), Asklepios and Hermes, a sanctuary of Athena Chalinitis, a theatre, an odeum, bathhouses, fountains - the Lerna, Glauke and Peirene -, basilicas with portrait statues of the imperial family, and wide streets such as the road to Lechaion and many more monuments described with clarity by Pausanias in his work "Corinthiaka". In about the middle of the central row of shops was the "bema" from which the Roman Proconsul (governor) addressed the citizens gathered in the agora. In the Middle Ages, a small church was built on this spot, the foundations of which have survived.

The sea port of Corinth on the Corinthian Gulf is Lechaion, which is closer to the city and where there were ship sheds and a naval station. At the time of the city's prosperity, long walls linked the harbour and naval station with Corinth, and remains of these were uncovered by archaeologists during the past one hundred years. During the Roman period there were wharves and moles at Lechaion, constructed of huge rectangular blocks of poros stone. The port was in a location of major strategic importance.

After the rebuilding of Corinth, its second harbour, Cenchrea, was built on the Saronic Gulf, near Isthmia. Its fortification acted as a wave-breaker in stormy weather. Today, a large part of it is submerged beneath the sea, and only a small section can be seen on land. A small complex of rooms close to the south harbour wall belonged perhaps to the warehousing facilities of the port. Next to it was a temple, possibly of Isis. There are also ruins of a three-aisled basilica of the fourth century AD, beneath the floor of which over seventy burials sites were discovered. Close to the north harbour wall are remnants of Late Roman and Early Christian buildings.

At Cenchrea, where there is evidence of human habitation from prehistoric times, the population in the first century AD was larger than that of Lechaion. This is underlined by the express reference by Apostle Paul in his Letter to the Romans, to "the church in Cenchrea" (16:1) and the recommendation to the Romans of Deaconess Phoebe, who seems to have brought this epistle to Rome, in AD 52-53. In the spring of AD 53, Paul, accompanied by Aquila and Priscilla, sailed forth from the port of Cenchrea, bound for Syria.

At the gateway in the wall of Corinth, at which the road from Cenchrea terminated, Alexander had met the philosopher Diogenes, who lived in a tub, that is a clay storage jar.

It is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (19:22) that while Apostle Paul was in Ephesus he sent his disciples Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia. Moreover, in his Epistle to the Romans, Paul refers to Erastus as follows: "Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you" (16:23). It seems that at the time the Epistle to the Romans was written, Erastus, who is counted among the Seventy Apostles, was living in Corinth. An inscription bearing the name Erastus, which reads:

ERASTUS PRO AEDILITATE S P STRAVIT

declaring that the pavement had been laid with his care, was found near the theatre of Corinth. The pavement is dated in the mid-first century AD, but the inscription was carved later. It is believed that Erastus, mentioned in the inscription, is to be identified as the treasurer of the city of Corinth during Paul’s Apostolic journeys.

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