ascertain, Matthew 14:1-12, St John Vianney, Philippi and Kavala
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Wishing everyone a Blessed Week!
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7..
We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift knowledge and free will as well,
make the most of it. Life on earth is a stepping to our eternal home in
Heaven. Its your choice whether to rise towards eternal light or lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to Heaven is our Soul, our Spirit...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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Today's Word: ascertain as·cer·tain [as-er-teyn]
Origin: 1400–50; late Middle English, variant of assertain, acertain < Middle French acertain- (tonic stem of acertener to make certain), equivalent to a- a-5 + certain certain
verb (used with object)
1. to find out definitely; learn with certainty or assurance; determine: to ascertain the facts.
2. Archaic . to make certain, clear, or definitely known.
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Today's Gospel Reading - Matthew 14: 1-12
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| St John The Baptist |
Reflection
•Today’s Gospel describes the way in
which John the Baptist was the victim of corruption and of the arrogance
of the government of Herod. He was killed without a process, during a
banquet of the king with the great of the kingdom. The text gives us
much information on the time in which Jesus lived and on the manner in
which power was used by the powerful of that time.
• Matthew 14,1-2. Who is Jesus for Herod. The text begins by informing about the opinion which Herod had of Jesus: "This is John the Baptist himself, he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him”. Herod tries to understand Jesus starting from the fear which assailed him after murdering John. Herod was very superstitious and hid his fear behind the ostentation of his riches and of his power.
• Matthew 14, 3-5: The hidden cause of the murdering of John. Galilee, the land of Jesus, was governed by Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod, the Great, from the year 4 BC until the year 38 AD, after Christ. Forty-three years in all! During the time of the life of Jesus, there were no changes of government in Galilee! Herod was the absolute Lord of everything, he did not render an account to anyone, he did whatever passed through his mind. Arrogance, lack of ethics, absolute power, without control from the people! But the one, who commanded in Palestine since the year 63 before Christ, was the Roman Empire. Herod, in Galilee, so as not to be dismissed, tried to please Rome in everything. Above all, he insisted on an efficient administration which would bring riches to the Empire. His concern was his own promotion and his security. For this reason, he refrained from any type of subversion. Matthew says that the reason for murdering John was because he had denounced Herod, because he had married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Flavio Joseph, a Jewish writer of that time, says that the true reason for the imprisonment of John the Baptist was the fear of Herod that there would be a popular revolt. Herod like to be called the benefactor of the people, but in reality he was a tyrant (Lk 22, 25). The denunciation of John against Herod was the drop that caused the glass to overflow: “It is against the Law for you to have her”. And John was put in prison.
• Matthew 14, 6-12: The plot of the murderer. An anniversary and a festive banquet, with dances and orgy! Mark says that in the feast were “the great of the court, the officials and the important people of Galilee” (Mk 6, 21). This is the environment in which the murdering of John the Baptist is planned. John, the prophet, was a living denunciation of that corrupt system. This is why, he was eliminated with the pretext of a problem of personal revenge. All this reveals the moral weakness of Herod. So much power accumulated in the hands of one man incapable to control himself! In the enthusiasm of the feast and of the wine, Herod makes a promise by oath to Salome, the young dancer, daughter of Herodias. Superstitious as he was, he thought that he had to maintain this oath, and respond to the caprice of the girl; and because of this he ordered the soldier to bring the head of John on a tray and give it to the dancer, who then gave it to her mother. For Herod, the life of his subjects was worthless. He disposes of them as he disposes of the staircases in his house!
The three characteristics of the government of Herod: the new Capital, large estates, and the class of functionaries:
a) The New Capital. Tiberiade was inaugurated when Jesus was only 20 years old. It was called like that in order to please Tiberius, the emperor of Rome. It was inhabited by the lords of the earth, the soldiers, the policemen, the unscrupulous judges (Lk 18, 1-4). The taxes and the products of the people were channelled toward it. It was there that Herod made his orgy of death (Mk 6, 21-29). Tiberiades was the city of the palaces of the King, where those who wore soft, delicate dresses lived (cf. Mt 11, 8). It is not known by the Gospels that Jesus entered this city.
b) The large estates. Scholars say that during the long government of Herod, the large estates grew causing harm to community property. The Book of Henoch denounces the lords of the land and expresses the hope of the little ones: “And then the powerful and the great will no longer be the lords of the land”. (Hen 38,4). The ideal of ancient times was the following: “Each one will peacefully sit under his vine and nobody will frighten them” (1 Mac 14,12; Mi 4,4; Zc 3,10). But the politics of the government of Herod made this ideal impossible.
c) The class of functionaries. Herod created a whole class of functionaries faithful to the project of the King: the Scribes, the merchants, the lords of the land, the officers of the market, the tax collectors, the militia, the policemen, the judges, the local heads,. In every village there was a group of persons which supported the government. In the Gospels, some Pharisees appear together with the Herodians (Mk 3, 6; 8, 15; 12, 13), and that shows the alliance between the religious power and the civil power. The life of the people in the villages was very controlled, both by the government and by the religion. Much courage was necessary to begin anything new, as John and Jesus did! It was the same thing as attracting to self the anger of the privileged ones, both from the religious and the civil powers.
• Matthew 14,1-2. Who is Jesus for Herod. The text begins by informing about the opinion which Herod had of Jesus: "This is John the Baptist himself, he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him”. Herod tries to understand Jesus starting from the fear which assailed him after murdering John. Herod was very superstitious and hid his fear behind the ostentation of his riches and of his power.
• Matthew 14, 3-5: The hidden cause of the murdering of John. Galilee, the land of Jesus, was governed by Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod, the Great, from the year 4 BC until the year 38 AD, after Christ. Forty-three years in all! During the time of the life of Jesus, there were no changes of government in Galilee! Herod was the absolute Lord of everything, he did not render an account to anyone, he did whatever passed through his mind. Arrogance, lack of ethics, absolute power, without control from the people! But the one, who commanded in Palestine since the year 63 before Christ, was the Roman Empire. Herod, in Galilee, so as not to be dismissed, tried to please Rome in everything. Above all, he insisted on an efficient administration which would bring riches to the Empire. His concern was his own promotion and his security. For this reason, he refrained from any type of subversion. Matthew says that the reason for murdering John was because he had denounced Herod, because he had married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Flavio Joseph, a Jewish writer of that time, says that the true reason for the imprisonment of John the Baptist was the fear of Herod that there would be a popular revolt. Herod like to be called the benefactor of the people, but in reality he was a tyrant (Lk 22, 25). The denunciation of John against Herod was the drop that caused the glass to overflow: “It is against the Law for you to have her”. And John was put in prison.
• Matthew 14, 6-12: The plot of the murderer. An anniversary and a festive banquet, with dances and orgy! Mark says that in the feast were “the great of the court, the officials and the important people of Galilee” (Mk 6, 21). This is the environment in which the murdering of John the Baptist is planned. John, the prophet, was a living denunciation of that corrupt system. This is why, he was eliminated with the pretext of a problem of personal revenge. All this reveals the moral weakness of Herod. So much power accumulated in the hands of one man incapable to control himself! In the enthusiasm of the feast and of the wine, Herod makes a promise by oath to Salome, the young dancer, daughter of Herodias. Superstitious as he was, he thought that he had to maintain this oath, and respond to the caprice of the girl; and because of this he ordered the soldier to bring the head of John on a tray and give it to the dancer, who then gave it to her mother. For Herod, the life of his subjects was worthless. He disposes of them as he disposes of the staircases in his house!
The three characteristics of the government of Herod: the new Capital, large estates, and the class of functionaries:
a) The New Capital. Tiberiade was inaugurated when Jesus was only 20 years old. It was called like that in order to please Tiberius, the emperor of Rome. It was inhabited by the lords of the earth, the soldiers, the policemen, the unscrupulous judges (Lk 18, 1-4). The taxes and the products of the people were channelled toward it. It was there that Herod made his orgy of death (Mk 6, 21-29). Tiberiades was the city of the palaces of the King, where those who wore soft, delicate dresses lived (cf. Mt 11, 8). It is not known by the Gospels that Jesus entered this city.
b) The large estates. Scholars say that during the long government of Herod, the large estates grew causing harm to community property. The Book of Henoch denounces the lords of the land and expresses the hope of the little ones: “And then the powerful and the great will no longer be the lords of the land”. (Hen 38,4). The ideal of ancient times was the following: “Each one will peacefully sit under his vine and nobody will frighten them” (1 Mac 14,12; Mi 4,4; Zc 3,10). But the politics of the government of Herod made this ideal impossible.
c) The class of functionaries. Herod created a whole class of functionaries faithful to the project of the King: the Scribes, the merchants, the lords of the land, the officers of the market, the tax collectors, the militia, the policemen, the judges, the local heads,. In every village there was a group of persons which supported the government. In the Gospels, some Pharisees appear together with the Herodians (Mk 3, 6; 8, 15; 12, 13), and that shows the alliance between the religious power and the civil power. The life of the people in the villages was very controlled, both by the government and by the religion. Much courage was necessary to begin anything new, as John and Jesus did! It was the same thing as attracting to self the anger of the privileged ones, both from the religious and the civil powers.
Personal questions
• Do you know any persons who died
victims of corruption and domination of the powerful? And here among us,
in our community and in the Church, are there victims of
authoritarianism and of the abuse of power?
• Herod, the powerful, who thought he was the lord of life and death of people, was a coward before the great and a corrupt flatterer before the girl who danced. Cowardice and corruption marked the exercise of the power of Herod. Compare all this with the exercise of religious power and civil orgy, in the different levels of society and of the Church
• Herod, the powerful, who thought he was the lord of life and death of people, was a coward before the great and a corrupt flatterer before the girl who danced. Cowardice and corruption marked the exercise of the power of Herod. Compare all this with the exercise of religious power and civil orgy, in the different levels of society and of the Church
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
Died: 1859
Patron Saint of : all priests
Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney (8 May 1786 – 4 August 1859), commonly known in English as St John Vianney, was a French parish priest who in the Catholic Church is venerated as a saint and as the patron saint of all priests. He is often referred to as the "Curé d'Ars". He became internationally notable for his priestly and pastoral work in his parish because of the radical spiritual transformation of the community and its surroundings. Catholics attribute this to his saintly life, mortification, his persevering ministry in the sacrament of confession, and his ardent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Philomena.
By 1790, the French Revolution forced many loyal priests to hide from the government in order to carry out the sacraments in their parish. In order to attend Mass, even though it was illegal, the Vianneys travelled to distant farms where they could pray in secret. Since the priests risked their lives day by day, Vianney began to look upon priests as heroes. His First Communion lessons were publicly carried out in a public home by three priests. He made his first communion at the age of 13. During the Mass, the windows were covered so that the light of the candles could not be seen from the outside. The secrecy of his Catholic practices continued, especially during his preparation for confirmation.
In 1802, the Catholic Church was re-established in France, resulting in religious peace throughout the country. By this time, Vianney was concerned about his future vocation and longed for an education. He was 20 when his father allowed him to leave the farm to be taught at Father Balley's "presbytery-school" in the neighbouring village of Ecully. The school taught arithmetic, history, geography, and Latin. Vianney struggled with school, especially with Latin, since his past education had been interrupted by the French Revolution. Only because of Vianney's deepest desire to be a priest - and Father Balley's patience - did he continue.
Vianney's studies were interrupted in 1809 when he was drafted into Napoleon's armies. He should have been exempt, as an ecclesiastical student, but Napoleon had withdrawn the exemption in certain dioceses because of his need for soldiers in his fight against Spain. Two days after he had to report at Lyons, he became ill and was hospitalized, during which time his draft left without him. Once released from the hospital, on 5 January, he was sent to Roanne for another draft. He went into a church to pray, and fell behind the group. He met a young man who volunteered to guide him back to his group, but instead led him deep into the mountains of Le Forez, to the village Les Noes, where deserters had gathered. Vianney lived there for fourteen months, hidden in the byre attached to a farmhouse, and under the care of Claudine Fayot, a widow with four children. He assumed the name Jerome Vincent, and under that name he opened a school for village children. Since the harsh weather isolated the town during the winter, the deserters were safe from gendarmes. However, after the snow melted, gendarmes came to the town constantly, searching for deserters. During these searches, Vianney hid inside stacks of fermenting hay in Fayot's barn. An Imperial decree proclaimed in March 1810 granted amnesty to all deserters, which enabled Vianney to go back legally to Ecully, where he resumed his studies. He was tonsured in 1811, and in 1812 he went to the minor seminary at Verrieres. In autumn of 1813, he was sent to major seminary at Lyons. Considered too slow, he was returned to Father Balley. However, father Balley persuaded the vicars general that Vianney's piety was great enough to compensate for his ignorance, and the seminarian received minor orders and the subdiaconate on July 2, 1814, was ordained deacon in June 1815, and was ordained priest August 12, 1815 in the Couvent des Minimes de Grenoble. He said his first Mass the next day, and was appointed assistant to Fr Balley in Ecully.
On 4 August 1859, Vianney died at age 73. The bishop presided over
his funeral with 300 priests and more than 6,000 people in attendance.On 3 October 1874 Pope Pius IX proclaimed him Venerable; on 8 January 1905, Pope Pius X declared him Blessed and proposed him as a model to the parochial clergy; in 1925 Pope Pius XI canonized him, and assigned 8 August as his feast day. This feast was inserted in the General Roman Calendar in 1928 with the rank of Double. He was made patron saint of parish priests in 1929
The rank was changed to that of third-class feast in 1960, and it is
thus celebrated by those who observe the calendar of 1962 as an extraordinary form of the Roman Rite. The date assigned by Pope Paul VI for the memorial of John Vianney is 4 August. In 1959, Pope John XXIII issued Sacerdotii Nostri Primordia, an encyclical on Vianney. In honor of the 150th anniversary of Vianney's death, Pope Benedict XVI declared a year for priests, running from the feast of the Sacred Heart 2009-2010.
The Vatican Post has prepared a set of stamps to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of St John Vianney. With the following words on 16 June 2009, Benedict XVI officially marked the beginning of the year dedicated to priests, "…On the forthcoming Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday 19 June 2009 – a day traditionally devoted to prayer for the sanctification of the clergy –, I have decided to inaugurate a ‘Year for Priests’ in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the dies natalis of John Mary Vianney, the Patron Saint of parish priests worldwide…" Pope Benedict XVI placed the Year of the Priest also known as the Year for Priests (June 2009-June 2010) under St John Vianney's patronage. There are statues of Vianney in many French churches.
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Saint of the Day: St. John Vianney
Feast Day: August 4
Died: 1859
Patron Saint of : all priests
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| The body of Saint John Mary Vianney wearing a wax mask, found to be incorrupt by the Catholic Church. The body is entombed above the main altar in the Basilica at Ars, France. |
Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney (8 May 1786 – 4 August 1859), commonly known in English as St John Vianney, was a French parish priest who in the Catholic Church is venerated as a saint and as the patron saint of all priests. He is often referred to as the "Curé d'Ars". He became internationally notable for his priestly and pastoral work in his parish because of the radical spiritual transformation of the community and its surroundings. Catholics attribute this to his saintly life, mortification, his persevering ministry in the sacrament of confession, and his ardent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Philomena.
Early life
Vianney was born on 8 May 1786, in the French town of Dardilly, and was baptized the same day. His parents, Matthieu Vianney and Marie Beluze, had six children, of whom John was the fourth. The Vianneys were Catholics who helped the poor and gave hospitality to Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, the patron saint of tramps, who passed through Dardilly on his pilgrimage to Rome.By 1790, the French Revolution forced many loyal priests to hide from the government in order to carry out the sacraments in their parish. In order to attend Mass, even though it was illegal, the Vianneys travelled to distant farms where they could pray in secret. Since the priests risked their lives day by day, Vianney began to look upon priests as heroes. His First Communion lessons were publicly carried out in a public home by three priests. He made his first communion at the age of 13. During the Mass, the windows were covered so that the light of the candles could not be seen from the outside. The secrecy of his Catholic practices continued, especially during his preparation for confirmation.
In 1802, the Catholic Church was re-established in France, resulting in religious peace throughout the country. By this time, Vianney was concerned about his future vocation and longed for an education. He was 20 when his father allowed him to leave the farm to be taught at Father Balley's "presbytery-school" in the neighbouring village of Ecully. The school taught arithmetic, history, geography, and Latin. Vianney struggled with school, especially with Latin, since his past education had been interrupted by the French Revolution. Only because of Vianney's deepest desire to be a priest - and Father Balley's patience - did he continue.
Vianney's studies were interrupted in 1809 when he was drafted into Napoleon's armies. He should have been exempt, as an ecclesiastical student, but Napoleon had withdrawn the exemption in certain dioceses because of his need for soldiers in his fight against Spain. Two days after he had to report at Lyons, he became ill and was hospitalized, during which time his draft left without him. Once released from the hospital, on 5 January, he was sent to Roanne for another draft. He went into a church to pray, and fell behind the group. He met a young man who volunteered to guide him back to his group, but instead led him deep into the mountains of Le Forez, to the village Les Noes, where deserters had gathered. Vianney lived there for fourteen months, hidden in the byre attached to a farmhouse, and under the care of Claudine Fayot, a widow with four children. He assumed the name Jerome Vincent, and under that name he opened a school for village children. Since the harsh weather isolated the town during the winter, the deserters were safe from gendarmes. However, after the snow melted, gendarmes came to the town constantly, searching for deserters. During these searches, Vianney hid inside stacks of fermenting hay in Fayot's barn. An Imperial decree proclaimed in March 1810 granted amnesty to all deserters, which enabled Vianney to go back legally to Ecully, where he resumed his studies. He was tonsured in 1811, and in 1812 he went to the minor seminary at Verrieres. In autumn of 1813, he was sent to major seminary at Lyons. Considered too slow, he was returned to Father Balley. However, father Balley persuaded the vicars general that Vianney's piety was great enough to compensate for his ignorance, and the seminarian received minor orders and the subdiaconate on July 2, 1814, was ordained deacon in June 1815, and was ordained priest August 12, 1815 in the Couvent des Minimes de Grenoble. He said his first Mass the next day, and was appointed assistant to Fr Balley in Ecully.
Curé of Ars
In 1818, shortly after the death of Father Balley, Jean-Marie Vianney was appointed parish priest of the parish of Ars, a town of 230. A few years later, he founded an orphanage for destitute girls, called "The Providence" which was successful, however it was closed in 1847. As parish priest, Vianney realized that the Revolution's aftermath had resulted in religious ignorance, due to the destruction of the Catholic Church in France. At the time, Sundays in rural areas were spent working in the fields, or dancing and drinking in taverns. Vianney was astonished, especially since Sundays were meant to be reserved for religion. Vianney spent time in the confessional and gave homilies against blasphemy and dancing. If his parishioners did not give up dancing, he refused them absolution. Monsignor Balley was Vianney's greatest inspiration, since he was a priest who remained loyal to his faith, despite the Revolution. Vianney felt compelled to fulfill the duties of a curé, just as did M. Balley, even when it was illegal.Later years
Vianney came to be known internationally, and people from distant places began traveling to consult him as early as 1827.[9] "By 1855, the number of pilgrims had reached twenty thousand a year. During the last ten years of his life, he spent sixteen to eighteen hours a day in the confessional. Even the bishop forbade him to attend the annual retreats of the diocesan clergy because of the souls awaiting him yonder". He spent at least 11 or 12 hours a day in the confessional during winter, and up to 16 in the summer. Vianney had a great devotion to St. Philomena. Vianney regarded her as his guardian and erected a chapel and shrine in honor of the saint. During May 1843, Vianney fell so ill he thought that his life was coming to its end. He asked St Philomena to cure him and promised to say 100 Masses at her shrine. Twelve days later, Vianney was cured and he attributed his cure to St Philomena. Vianney yearned for the contemplative life of a monk, and four times ran away from Ars, the last time in 1853.Death and veneration
.Biographers recorded miracles performed throughout his life, he had supernatural
knowledge of the past and future, and could heal the sick, especially
children.
The Vatican Post has prepared a set of stamps to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of St John Vianney. With the following words on 16 June 2009, Benedict XVI officially marked the beginning of the year dedicated to priests, "…On the forthcoming Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday 19 June 2009 – a day traditionally devoted to prayer for the sanctification of the clergy –, I have decided to inaugurate a ‘Year for Priests’ in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the dies natalis of John Mary Vianney, the Patron Saint of parish priests worldwide…" Pope Benedict XVI placed the Year of the Priest also known as the Year for Priests (June 2009-June 2010) under St John Vianney's patronage. There are statues of Vianney in many French churches.
References: Courtesy of the Catholic Online, catholic.org and Courtesy of Wikipedia, wikipedia.org
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.
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Today's Snippet: Ancient town of Philippi Macedonia and Modern Kavala Greece
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| Ancient Biblical Map of Macedonia |
Philippi (in Greek Φίλιπποι Philippoi) was a city in eastern Macedonia, established by Philip II in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman conquest. The present municipality Filippoi is located near the ruins of the ancient city and it is part of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace in Greece.
Philippi was established by the king of Macedon, Philip II, on the site of the Thasian colony of Krinides or Crenides (Κρηνἱδες, "Fountains"), near the head of the Aegean Sea at the foot of Mt. Orbelos about 8 miles north-west of Kavalla, on the northern border of the marsh that in Antiquity covered the entire plain separating it from the Pangaion hills to the south of Greece.
The objective of founding the town was to take control of the neighbouring gold mines and to establish a garrison at a strategic passage: the site controlled the route between Amphipolis and Neapolis, part of the great royal route which crosses Macedonia from the east to the west and which was reconstructed later by the Roman Empire as the Via Egnatia.
Philip II endowed the new city with important fortifications, which
partially blocked the passage between the swamp and Mt. Orbelos, and
sent colonists to occupy it. Philip also had the marsh partially
drained, as is attested by the writer Theophrastus. Philippi preserved itsautonomy within the kingdom of Macedon and had its own political institutions (the Assembly of the demos).
The discovery of new gold mines near the city, at Asyla, contributed to
the wealth of the kingdom and Philip established a mint there. The city
was finally fully integrated into the kingdom under Philip V.
The city remained. It contained 2,000 people. When the Romans destroyed the Antigonid dynasty of Macedon in 167 BC and divided it into four separate states (merides), it was Amphipolis and not Philippi that became the capital of the eastern Macedonian state.
Almost nothing is known about the city in this period, aside from the walls, the Greek theatre, the foundations of a house under the Roman forum and a little temple dedicated to a hero cult. This monument covers the tomb of a certain Exekestos, is possibly situated on the agora and is dedicated to the κτίστης (ktistès), the foundation hero of the city.
The Roman era
The city reappears in the sources during the Roman civil war that followed the assassination of Julius Caesar. His heirs Mark Antony and Octavian confronted the assassins of Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus and Cassius, at the Battle of Philippi
in the plain to the west of the city during October in 42 BC. Antony
and Octavian were victorious in this final battle against the partisans
of the Republic. They released some of their veteran soldiers, probably
from legion XXVIII and colonized them in the city, which was refounded as Colonia Victrix Philippensium. In 30 BC, Octavian became Roman emperor, reorganized the colony, and established more settlers there, veterans possibly from the Praetorian Guard and other Italians. The city was renamed Colonia Iulia Philippensis, and then Colonia Augusta Iulia Philippensis after January, 27 BC, when Octavian received the title Augustus from the Roman Senate.
Following this second renaming, and perhaps after the first, the territory of Philippi was centuriated
(divided into squares of land) and distributed to the colonists. The
city kept its Macedonian walls, and its general plan was modified only
partially by the construction of a forum, a little to the east of the
site of Greek agora. It was a "miniature Rome," under the municipal law
of Rome and governed by two military officers, the duumviri, who were appointed directly from Rome.
The colony recognized its dependence on the mines that brought it its privileged position on the Via Egnatia.
This wealth was shown by the many monuments that were particularly
imposing considering the relatively small size of the urban area: the
forum, laid out in two terraces on both sides of the main road, was
constructed in several phases between the reigns of Claudius and Antoninus Pius, and the theatre was enlarged and expanded in order to hold Roman games. There is an abundance of Latin inscriptions testifying to the prosperity of the city.
The early Christian era
According to the New Testament, in AD 49 or 50, the city was visited by the apostle Paul (Acts 16:9-10). From the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 16:12) and the letter to the Philippians (Philippians 1:1), early Christians concluded that Paul had founded their community. Accompanied by Silas, Timothy and possibly Luke, the author of the Acts of the Apostles, he is believed to have preached for the first time on European soil in Philippi (Acts 16:12-40). According to the New Testament, Paul visited the city on two other occasions, in 56 and 57. The Epistle to the Philippians dates from around 61-62 and is believed to show the immediate impact of Paul's instruction. The development of Christianity in Philippi is indicated by a letter from Polycarp of Smyrna addressed to the community in Philippi around AD 160 and by funerary inscriptions.
The first church described in the city is a small building that was probably originally a small prayer house. This Basilica of Paul, identified by an mosaic inscription on the pavement, is dated around 343 from a mention by the bishop Porphyrios, who was present at the Council of Serdica that year. The prosperity of the city in the 5th and 6th centuries was
attributed to Paul and to his ministry. As in other cities, many new
ecclesiastical buildings were constructed at this time. Seven different
churches were constructed in Philippi between the mid-4th century and
the end of the 6th, some of which competed in size and decoration with
the most beautiful buildings in Thessalonica, or even those of Constantinople. The relationship of the plan and of the architectural decoration of Basilica B with Hagia Sophia
and Saint Irene in Constantinople accorded a privileged place to this
church in the history of early Christian art. The complex cathedral
which took the place of the Basilica of Paul at the end of the 5th
century, constructed around an octagonal church, also rivaled the
churches of Constantinople. In the same age, the fortifications of the city were rebuilt in order to better defend against the growing instability in the Balkans. In 473, the city was besieged by the Ostrogoths, who were unable to take it but burned down the surrounding villages.
The Byzantine and Ottoman era
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| Ruins at Philippi. |
Already weakened by the Slavic invasions at the end of the 6th century, which ruined the agrarian economy of Macedonia and probably also by the Plague of Justinian in 547, the city was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake
around 619, from which it never recovered. There was a small amount of
activity there in the 7th century, but the city was now hardly more than
a village. The Byzantine Empire possibly maintained a garrison there, but in 838 the city was taken by the Bulgars under kavhan Isbul, who celebrated their victory with a monumental inscription on the stylobate
in Basilica B, now partially in ruins. The site of Philippi was so
strategically sound that the Byzantines attempted very soon to recapture
it ca. 850. Several seals of civil servants and other Byzantine
officials, dated to the first half of the 9th century, prove the
presence of Byzantine armies in the city.
Around 969, Emperor Nicephorus II
Phocas rebuilt the fortifications on the acropolis and in part of the
city. These gradually helped weaken Bulgar power and strengthen the
Byzantine presence in the area. In 1077, Bishop Basil Kartzimopoulos
rebuilt part of the defenses inside the city. The city began to prosper
once more, as witnessed by the Arab geographer Al Idrisi, who mentions it as a centre of business and wine production around 1150. After a brief occupation by the Franks after the Fourth Crusade and the capture of Constantinople in 1204, the city fell into the hands of the Serbs. Still, it remained a notable fortification on the route of the ancient Via Egnatia; in 1354, the pretender to the Byzantine throne, Matthew Cantacuzenus, was captured there by the Serbs. The city was abandoned at an unknown date, but when the French
traveller Pierre Belon visited it in the 16th century, there were
nothing but ruins, used by the Turks as a quarry. The name of the city
was preserved at first by a Turkish village on the nearby plain,
Philibedjik (Filibecik, "Little Filibe" in Turkish), which has since disappeared and then by a Greek village in the mountains.
Archaeological excavation of the site
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The ruins of Direkler (Basilica B),
illustrated by H. Daumet, 1861
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In the Bible
According to the New Testament, in AD 49 or 50 the city was visited by the apostle Paul who was guided there by a vision (Acts 16:9-10). Accompanied by Silas, Timothy and possibly Luke, the author of the Acts of the Apostles, he preached for the first time on European soil in Philippi (Acts 16:12-40) and baptized Lydia, a purple
dye merchant, in a river to the west of the city. While in Philippi,
his exorcism of a demon from a slave girl caused a great uproar in the
city, which led to their (Paul and Silas) arrest and public beating (Acts 16:16-24).
An earthquake caused their prison to be opened. When the jailer awoke,
he prepared to kill himself, thinking all the prisoners had escaped and
knowing that he would be severely punished. Paul stopped him, indicating
that all the prisoners were in fact still there. The jailer then became
one of the first Christians in Europe (Acts 16:25-40). Paul visited the city at least on two other occasions, in 56 and 57. The Epistle to the Philippians dates from around 61-62 and shows the immediate impact of Paul's instruction.
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Kavala, Greece
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| Map of Greece |
Kavala (Greek: Καβάλα), is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos. Kavala is located on the Egnatia motorway and is a two-hour drive to Thessaloniki (160 km west) and forty minutes drive to Drama (37 km north) and Xanthi (56 km east).
History
The city was founded by settlers from Thassos about at the end of the 7th century BC, who called it Neapolis
(Νεάπολις; "new city" in Greek). It was one of the colonies that the
Thassians founded in the coastline, in order to take advantage of the
rich gold and silver mines of the territory, especially the ones that
were located to the nearby Pangaion mountain (which were eventually
exploited by Phillip the Second of Macedonia).
Antiquity
The worship of "Parthenos", a female hellenised deity of the thracian
goddess Vendis is archaeologically attested in the archaic period. At
the end of the 6th century BC Neapolis claimed its independence from
Thassos and cut its own silver coins with the head of Gorgo (γοργὀνειο)
at the one side as a symbol. At the beginning of the 5th century BC a
large ionic temple from thassian marble replaced the archaic one. Parts
of it can now be seen in the archaeological museum of Kavala. In 411 BC, during the Peloponnesian War, Neapolis was sieged by the
allied armies of the Spartans and the Thassians, but remained faithful
to Athens. Two athenian honorary decrees in 410 and 407 BC rewarded
Neapolis for its loyalty. Neapolis was a town of Macedonia, and the harbor of Philippi, from which it was distant 14 km. Neapolis was a member of the Athenian League, as a pillar found in Athens mentions a contribution of Neapolis to the alliance.
Roman Era
he military Roman road Via Egnatia passed through the city helped commerce to flourish. It became a Roman civitas in 168 BC, and was a base for Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC, before their defeat in the Battle of Philippi. (Appian, B.C. iv. 106; Dion Cass. xlvii. 35.). The Apostle Paul landed at Kavala on his first voyage to Europe (Acts, xvi. 11).
Byzantine Era
In the 6th century Byzantine emperor Justinian I fortified the city in an effort to protect it from barbaric raids. In later Byzantine times the city was called Christoupolis (Χριστούπολις, "city of Christ") and belonged to the Theme_(Byzantine_district) of Macedonia. The first mention of the new name is recorded in a taktikon of the early 9th century. The city is also mentioned in the "Life of St. Gregory the Decapolite". In the 8th and 9th century Bulgarian
attacks forced the Byzantines to reorganize the defense of the area,
giving great care to Christoupolis with fortification and a notable
garrison. In 926 the Byzantine general (stratigos) Vasilios Klaudon
reconstructed the fallen walls of the city, ("τα πριν φθαρέντα και
πεπτωκότα τείχη") according to an inscription that is now in the
archaeological museum of Kavala. Due to the location of Christoupolis,
the city experienced an economic flourish, securing the contact between Constantinople and Thessaloniki. During the Norman
raid of Macedonia in 1185, the city was captured and was burned. In
1302, the Catalonians failed to capture the city. In order to prevent
them from coming back, the Byzantine emperor Andronikos_III_Palaiologos
built a new long defensive wall ("το παρά την Χριστούπολιν τείχισμα").
In 1357 is mentioned that the Byzantine officers and brothers Alexios
and Ioannis (John) controlled the city and its territory. Recent
excavations have revealed the ruins of an early Byzantine basilica under
an old Ottoman mosque in the old part of the city (Panagia peninsula).
This Christian temple was used till the late Byzantine era, as the also
recently revealed small cemetery around it shows. The Ottoman Turks
first captured the city in 1387 and completely destroyed it in 1391, as a
Mount Athos chronicle testifies.
Ottoman Era
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| Kamares Aqueduct |
Kavala was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1387 to 1912. In the middle of the 16th century, Ibrahim Pasha, Grand Vizier of Suleiman the Magnificent, contributed to the prosperity and growth of Kavala by the construction of an aqueduct. The Ottomans also extended the Byzantine fortress on the hill of Panagia. Both landmarks are among the most recognizable symbols of the city today. Mehmet Ali, the founder of a dynasty that ruled Egypt, was born in Kavala in 1769. His house has been preserved as a museum.
Kamares (The old Aqueduct):
The Old Aqueduct, the Medieval Aqueduct, is work of the Byzantine
period, which held extensive repairs during the Ottoman rule,
particularly during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent and Legislator
(1530 AD approx.) This double arch structure was designed to bridge the
peninsula of Panagia with the foot of the mountain of Lekani. It was
used to carry water from mountain sources (six kilometers north from the
'Mother of Water "or" Soumpasi "or" The Three Elms") in today's" Old
Town "- Panagia, with the main water source situated at an altitude of
400 m and other complementary lower sources of supply. This grand
monument has a length of 280 m consists of 60 arches of four different
sizes and has a maximum height of 25 meters. The restoration works began
in September 1997 with a mild technical assistance. Source: «Medieval
Aqueduct of Kavala – Arcs», Publication of 12th Service of Byzantine and
Ancient Antiquities, Kavala, 2008
Modern Kavala
Kavala was briefly occupied by the Bulgarians who defeated the Ottomans in 1912, but was finally annexed to Greece by the Greek Navy in 1913, during a successful landing operation commanded by the famous admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis.
The city was captured again by the Bulgarian army during the First
World War from 29.8.1916 till the September of 1918. During this period
the local population faced the brutality of the occupation troops: the
local harvest was almost completely expropriated, while a sizable
portion of the population was sent to Bulgaria.
According to a report of the Inter Allied Commission in Macedonia, most
of them never returned and as a result, the local population has been
dramatically decreased from 69,600 to only 8,000. According to another source, Kavala had only about 23 thousand inhabitants before the war ans slightly less than that in 1920 After the Greco-Turkish War
of 1919-1922, the city entered a new era of prosperity because of the
labour offered by the thousands of refugees that moved to the area from
Asia Minor. The development was both industrial and agricultural. Kavala
became greatly involved in the processing and trading of tobacco. Many
buildings related to the storage and processing of tobacco from that era
are preserved in the city. During World War II and after the fall of Athens, the Nazis awarded Kavala to their Bulgarian allies in 1941, but the city was liberated in 1944. In the late 1950s Kavala expanded towards the sea by reclaiming land from the area west of the port. In 1967, King Constantine II left Athens for Kavala in an unsuccessful attempt to launch a counter-coup against the military junta.
Culture
Festivals and events
Kavala hosts a wide array of cultural events, which mostly take place during the summer months. The top festival is the Festival of Philippi,
which lasts from July to September and includes theatrical performances
and music concerts. Since 1957, it has been the city's most important
cultural event and one of the most important of Greece.
Cosmopolis is an International Festival held in the Old Town
of Kavala that offers an acquaintance with cultures around the world
through dancing and musical groups, traditional national cuisines,
cinema, and exhibits at the kiosks of the participant countries.
Giannis Papaioannou’s Festival includes concerts and music seminars.
Ilios ke Petra (Sun and Stone)(July):
a Festival held in “Akontisma” of Nea Karvali. The event is of
folkloric character, with the participation of traditional dancing
groups from all over the world.
Wood Water Wild Festival:
Wood Water Wild is an outdoor activities festival, inspired by nature.
It includes live bands & dj sets, body&mind activities, a book
fair, outdoor theatre, ecology, camping, and debates. Besides, various cultural events are held in all municipalities of Kavala during the summer months.
Cuisine
Fish and sea food, as well as the products of the local livestock
breeding and agricultural sectors are the prevailing elements of Kavala
courses. In Kavala, the traditional local recipes have been influenced
by the cuisine of the refugees from Pontos, Asia Minor and Kappadokia.
Fresh fish and sea food, salted food, mackerel "gouna" (sun dried
mackerel on the grill), sardine pantremeni, mussels with rice, herring
saganaki, anchovies wrapped in grape leaves, Stuffed eggplant: these are
some very renowned recipes in Kavala and the coastal settlements of the
region. The grapes, wine and tsipouro produced in the area, as well as
the kourabiedes (sugar-coated almond biscuits) from Nea Karvali are
particularly famous.
Twin towns – Sister cities
Kavala is twinned with:
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References: Courtesy of Wikipedia, wikipedia.org
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–57). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.