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Pella (Greek: Πέλλα) was an ancient Macedonian city.
During Byzantine and Ottoman years, the city was known in Greek as Άγιοι Απόστολοι (Ayii Apostoli), rendered in Slavic as Постол (Postol), until it reverted to its ancient name in 1936.
History
- Main article History of Pella.
Pella was the palace-capital of ancient Macedon since the times of Archelaus I of Macedon, the seat of Philip II of Macedon and of Alexander the Great, his son. In 168 BC Pella was sacked by the Romans, and its treasury was transported to Rome. Later the city was destroyed by an earthquake and eventually was rebuilt over its ruins. By 180 AD Lucian could describe it in passing as "now insignificant, with very few inhabitants".
Etymology
The word Pella is a form of the Doric Greek word Apella, originally meaning a ceremonial location were decisions were made. The city was founded by Archelaus I specifically to become the capital of his kingdom.
Archaeology
Based of the descriptions provided by Titus Livius, the site was excavated by voyagers including Holand, Pouqueville, Beaujour, Cousinéry, Delacoulonche, Hahn, Glotz and Struck in the 19th century. The first excavation was begun by G. Oikonomos in 1914-1915. The systematic exploration of the site began in 1953 and full excavation was being done in 1957. The first series of campaigns were completed in 1963, including more excavations in 1980. These digs continue in the part identified as the agora.
In the late 1970s, the archaeologist Manolis Andronikos discovered the grave of Philip II of Macedon, who was the father of Alexander III of Macedon. Among the findings was a box made of gold along with the golden Vergina Star, which was an apple of discord between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in the early 1990s.
In February of 2006 a farmer accidentally uncovered the largest funeral tomb ever found in Greece. The names of the noble ancient Macedonian family are still on inscriptions and painted sculptures and walls have survived. The tomb dates to the 2nd or 3rd century BC, following the rule of Alexander the Great. ,
References
- Ch. J. Makaronas, Pella: Capital of Ancient Macedonia, pp 59-65, in Scientific American, Special Issue, Ancient Cities, c 1994.
- Ph. Petsas, Pella. Alexander the Great's Capital, Thessaloniki, 1977.
- D. Papakonstandinou-Diamandourou, Πέλλα. ιστορικί επισκόπησις και μαρτυρίαι Pella istoriki episkopisis kai martyriai (, in Greek), Thessaloniki, 1971.
- R. Ginouvès e. a., La Macédoine, CNRS Éditions, Paris, 1993, 90-98.
- F. Papazoglou, Les villes de Macédoine romaine, BCH Suppl. 16, 1988, 135-139.
External links
- Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites (via Perseus)
- Macedonian Heritage
- Greek Ministry of Culture