The walled city

The ancient city of Philippi in Eastern Macedonia is situated on a main land road, whose route was followed by the later Roman road, the Via Egnatia; that joined East and West; it was also very near the harbor of Neapolis, a communications base for the Northern Aegean with inland Eastern Macedonia. It is an exceptional example of an ancient city with a long history. However, there are three main turning points in the city's history, all of which are inextricably linked to its uniqueness: - Its founding by Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, who was unquestionably the leading political figure of the Late Classical period and a personality who directly determined the fate of the Ancient Greek world.

The Battle of Philippi in October 42 BC was one of the most important among the Roman Civil Wars marking the end of the Republic. Philippi played a decisive role in the expansion of Christianity since, in 49/50 AD, Apostle Paul visited the city, founded the first Christian church in Europe and baptised the first European Christians, thus establishing a religion in the West which continues to influence a large part of the world today.