The City of Philippi

Philippi is a city of Macedonia, on the Thracian border, not far from the sea, with two rivers. The area was rich in springs, whence its original name was Krenides. Philip of Macedon, in 358 BC, enlarged it, fortified it, and gave it his own name. Across the sea from it stood Neapolis with its harbor. Near Philippi were gold mines. When, almost on the very eve of Christianity, the army of the Roman triumvirs, led by one of them, Antony, gained victory over the republicans Brutus and Cassius—thereby putting an end to republican aspirations—a great many Italians were resettled in Philippi as a result, and Octavian granted the city jus italicum. Such distinctions kept the city in higher esteem among the people than even Amphipolis, the chief city of that region. It was for this reason that St Luke called it “the foremost city of” that “part of Macedonia” (Acts 16:12). Among the inhabitants, besides the local Greeks (perhaps also Slavs) and the Roman settlers, there were also Jews—not in great numbers, however; so they had no synagogue, but only a place of prayer outside the city, by the river. Notwithstanding this, they had managed to draw some pagan women, and probably pagan men as well, to confess the one true God. Among them, Lydia the seller of purple was the first to believe in the Lord and was baptized with her entire household.