First published: 04/07/19.

Joel On The Road 2.5

Archaeological Site Of Philippi

Archaeological site of Philippi (Inscribed)

Archaeological site of Philippi by Joel on the Road

First things first: there is far less to see here than at most other ancient sites in Greece. The ruins are just that: ruins, and aside from the theatre, not particularly well-preserved. But it's the history here that really makes Philippi impressive. Given its name by King Phillip II of Macedon, father to Alexander the Great, it was also the site of a pivotal battle from Roman history. Just outside the city walls in 43 BC, an army lead by Julius Caesar's heirs Octavian and Mark Antony, faced off against an army lead by Caesar's assassins Cassius and Brutus. Caesar's heirs won the day, and the Roman Republic was no more. And of course, there's the connection with early Christian history as well - the Apostle Paul visited here and was thrown in jail for preaching in the Forum before making a miraculous escape. It's also reputedly the site of the first Christian church and first Christian baptism in Europe. 

Honestly, a good knowledge of ancient history and some imagination are the best tools for fully enjoying this site. But despite the lack of ruins to see, it can still be quite an interesting and engaging 2-3 hour visit.

Logistics-wise, we drove to this site from our base in nearby Kavala. Aside from Athens, driving in Greece is actually quite OK as the roads are in fairly good condition. The site itself is quite a large area, and when we visited in September 2018 we had almost the entire place to ourselves.

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